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Aboitiz Power receives permit for Davao exploration

Aboitiz Power receives permit for Davao exploration Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines (source: flickr/ Roberto Verzo, creative commons)
Francisco Rojas 22 Oct 2014

The Davao City Council is keen on setting up more power plants in the city after it approved on second reading on Tuesday a resolution endorsing the request of Aboitiz Power Corp. to conduct exploratory activities for geothermal resources.

The 17th Davao City Council is bent on setting up more power plants in the city after it approved on second reading on Tuesday a resolution endorsing the request of Aboitiz Power Corp. to conduct exploratory activities for geothermal resources.

Davao City is the third local government unit that approved the Aboitiz’s request for exploration. Councilor Louie John Bonguyan, City Council committee chair for energy, said the council approved the request for exploration phase to support the establishment of more power plants in the city to fully meet its demand for energy in coming years.

Based on the committee report, the project will be located within the Mt. Apo Natural Park, covering 8,910 hectares and is located at the tri-boundary of Sta. Cruz, Davao City and Digos City.

The report said the Mt. Apo Geothermal Project will be composed of three phases of work — exploration, construction, and operation of power plant.

There will be two activities during the exploration phase – geology and hydrology.

Aboitiz Power will also conduct geochemistry by “estimating underground reservoir fluids and studying the chemistry of water and gas samples” and undertake magnetotelluric survey, which will “detect resistivity of geothermal structures, folds and the presence of cup rock and temperatures at various depths.”

Manuel Orig, first vice president for Mindanao Affairs, earlier said the public demands for the geothermal power plant “because it is safe to the environment and to the health of the people.”

“Plus it will result to electricity rates that are comparatively lower than the other rates of other power sources,” he said.

The exploration will be undertaken by Mt. Apo Geothermal Inc. as a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corp.

The item is set to be approved on third and final reading during the regular session next week.

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Source: Sun Star