THE $1.5 million mini-hydro power plant in Calatrava town in northern Negros Occidental is now fully operational and produces 20 t0 30 kilowatt per hour of electricity.

Energy Undersecretary Roy Quiamco Thursday presented the Department of Energy (DOE) evaluation report to Negros Occidental Governor Isidro Zayco with regard to the plant’s successful commissioning by Winrock Company with base in Canada.

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The project was funded through the Asian Development Bank in Japan with DOE as plant overseer.

“This is only an initial start while the DOE considers a pilot project on renewable energy sources,” he said.

On the other hand, the National Electrification Administration (NEA), National Power Corporation (Napocor) and the DOE have studied specific mini-hydro potential sites and have lined them up as indicative projects.

In Calatrava, local residents have successfully benefited because of the power generated that actually resulted to the creation of a grain mill.

“Now because of that, people in the community have livelihood, having established a grain mill,” Quiamco said.

The Philippines is endowed with a vast hydropower potential, with more than 10 percent of electricity requirements to be supplied by hydropower generation, the DOE said.

To meet the expected increase in demand for power over the planning period, a total of 2,950 megawatt (MW) of hydropower capacity will be available in both grid and off-grid areas, it added.

“Committed and indicative capacity additions will increase overall hydropower available capacity to 5,468 MW from the current installed capacity of 2,518MW,” the DOE said.

Eighteen large hydropower potentials are estimated to account for more than 90 percent of the possible additional capacity while the remainder will be supplied by mini-hydro potentials, the DOE said, adding that 490kW of micro-hydro power plants are targeted for installation for the planning horizon.

“These micro-hydropower plants will be tapped to support the government's rural electrification program targeting 100 percent barangay (or village) electrification by 2006. The committed capacity addition is expected to provide 7.7 TWh of electricity per year, equivalent to a fuel oil displacement of 12.9 MMBFOE,” the DOE noted.

Hydro plants are classified based on their capacities, first as a microhydro – one to 100 kW, mini-hydro - 101 kW to 10 MW, and large hydro - more than 10 MW.

The DOE cited that the total untapped hydropower resource potential of the country is estimated at 13,097 MW, of which 85 percent are considered large and small hydros (11,223 MW), 14 percent (1,847 MW) are classified as mini-hydros while less than 1 percent (27 MW) are considered micro-hydros. (George M. De La Cruz)