Aboitiz unit on track with Sabangan hydro project

MANILA, Philippines - Hedcor Inc., a fully owned subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corp., is on track with the completion of its Sabangan hydroelectric power project in the Mountain Province, officials said during the weekend.

The Sabangan project will supply 14 megawatts of renewable energy by early 2014, the company said.

It is also track with its expansion projects including the Tudaya hydroelectric project in Davao del Sur.

Hedcor president and chief operating officer Rene Ronquillo said the company also has small hydropower projects in Bukidnon, Negros and other parts of the Cordilleras.

“We believe there’s strong community support because the nice thing about small hydro is that it provides inclusive growth and inclusive development in the communities.”

Hedcor, a run-of-river hydropower plant developer and operator, recently celebrated its 35th anniversary.

The company started operating in 1978 the Lower Talomo hydropower plants in Davao, then owned by National Power Corp. (Napocor), the state-owned power firm.

In 1985, Hedcor assumed operation and maintenance of the Asin hydropower plants owned by the City of Baguio.

The first Hedcor-built hydropower plant was constructed in Benguet in 1988.

To date, the company has a portfolio of 19 power plants with a combined capacity of 155 MW.

Run-of–river hydropower utilizes the flow and elevation drop of rivers to generate electricity. A portion of the water from the river is diverted into a conveyance pipe and then to a turbine to generate electricity.

Once the electricity has been produced, the water is again re-directed back to the waterway’s existing river flow.

“Hedcor is committed not only to maintaining its leadership in the field of run-of-river hydropower, but also to improving the lives of the residents of our host communities,” Ronquillo said.