Pumped storage hydro

Severe tropical storm Crising dumped so much rainwater all over Metro Manila and nearby provinces in Luzon. Crising was the third of the average 20 typhoons that visit our country each year. From the reports of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), at least six individuals perished in flooding, landslides and other typhoon-related incidents in the affected areas.

This is not to mention damages to both public infrastructure facilities, houses and other private properties caused by the heavy rains and flooding. Categorized as a severe tropical storm, Crising left the country last Saturday while the habagat or southwest monsoon rains continued. Yesterday, typhoon Dante entered our country and brought more rains and flooding all over.

Let’s give credit to where credit is due, to our weather experts from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). Thankfully, through 24/7 PAGASA monitoring, the control of water releases from the dams situated in various areas in Luzon were obviously calibrated with the rainfall. The dams are being managed by the National Irrigation Administration (NIA). Since we cannot control Mother Nature, the NDRRMC is precisely mandated to ensure this kind of close coordination needed among these agencies whenever there is any typhoon event in our country.

The Bustos Dam in Bulacan has temporarily stopped releasing irrigation water to prevent standing rice crops from getting water logged due to rains from the habagat. It primarily gets its irrigation water supply from Angat Dam, complemented by the local river on its upstream river system.

Last Monday, the La Mesa Dam and Wawa Dam both reached their spill levels, raising the potential for increased flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Both dams have been at critical levels since the weekend due to persistent rains from the southwest monsoon, worsened by heavy rains poured incessantly by Crising.

Should Wawa Dam overflow, this could exacerbate conditions in the Marikina River. Besides Marikina River, Wawa’s spillover water will pass through Pasig River, San Juan River, the main Laguna de Bay river basin and other tributaries, potentially causing flooding in low-lying communities within eastern Metro Manila, as well as parts of Rizal and Laguna.

The Upper Wawa Dam features a reservoir of about 450 hectares and can store up to 120 million cubic meters of water. It is the largest dam to be built in over 50 years, with the critical objective of addressing water supply security in Metro Manila and the province of Rizal. NIA reported the Upper Wawa reservoir accumulated over 90 million cubic meters of water during the super typhoon. The water supply dam was built, developed and operated by WawaJVCo Inc. Industrialist tycoon Enrique Razon Jr.  acquired this Metro Manila east concession contract from the once Ayala-owned Manila Water.

Elsewhere, three dams in Luzon have already opened their floodgates to release excess water, according to PAGASA. Binga Dam and Ambuklao Dam, located in the towns of Itogon and Bokod in Benguet, have increased the number of open gates. Ipo Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan, has opened one gate, although its water level slightly ticked up. The other dams remain well below capacity.

Aside from impounding water to control or prevent flooding, our dams also play a very significant role in the maintenance of our hydro-electric plants. We cannot control when the sun shines or the wind blows, but we can control how we manage and store energy. Consequently, energy storage technologies like pumped storage hydro become indispensable.

But what exactly is pumped storage hydro, and why is it so vital to our national energy strategy? In essence, pumped storage hydroelectricity functions like a giant rechargeable battery. It involves two water reservoirs situated at different elevations. During periods when electricity demand is low or renewable energy production – such as solar and wind – is abundant, excess electricity is utilized to pump water from the lower reservoir to the upper one.

When electricity demand surges or renewable energy (RE) production declines (for example, during nighttime or cloudy, windless days), the stored water is released back downhill, powering turbines that generate electricity. This process provides a reliable, flexible and sustainable method to balance fluctuations in electricity supply and demand.

Pumped storage hydro also significantly reduces our dependence on imported fossil fuels, enhancing our national energy independence. By storing energy generated from domestic renewable sources, we fortify our resilience against volatile international energy markets, geopolitical uncertainties and fluctuating fuel prices.

It’s not new. Pumped storage hydro technology has been around, proving its long-term value and reliability in powering nations.

This increased resilience translates directly to greater economic stability, more predictable energy costs for consumers and a stronger foundation for sustainable economic growth.

As the Philippines expands RE sources such as solar and wind, we must simultaneously address their inherent intermittency challenges. With climate change, we are susceptible to long dry periods called El Niño and its opposite, La Niña that we are currently having.

Recognizing this, the Department of Energy (DOE) has already incorporated pumped storage hydro into its national energy outlook, projecting new facilities to begin operations between 2028 and 2030, aligning seamlessly with the broader Philippine Energy Plan. Pumped storage hydro is not merely another infrastructure initiative. It is a vital investment in our collective future.

As the Philippines moves decisively toward a diversified and sustainable energy future, the recent privatization of the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan (CBK) hydroelectric facility in Laguna marks a significant milestone. More than a simple transfer of ownership, this privatization highlights the critical and strategic role of pumped storage hydroelectric technology in securing our nation’s energy independence, sustainability and resilience.

Another example is the San Roque Hydropower, Inc., an affiliate of San Miguel Corporation which secured awards for three significant pumped-storage projects: the 800 MW San Roque Lower East and 800 MW San Roque West facilities in Itogon, Benguet and the 250 MW Aklan Pumped-Storage Project in Malay, Aklan.

Clearly, pumped storage hydroelectric power plants are poised to become a central pillar of the Philippines’ energy landscape.