SN ABOITIZ Power (Snap) is inching closer to its goal to set up the 140-megawatt (MW) Alimit Hydro Electric Power Project (HEPP) in Ifugao.
Snap and the Municipal Government of Lamut inked a framework agreement for the proposed Alimit Hydropower Complex with the local council of Lamut endorsing the project.
Mike Hosillos, Snap vice president for external affairs, said the next step is to conclude the feasibility study and wait for the issuance of the Certification Precondition of the Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) to be issued by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
"Once this is complete, our board can already evaluate the project in its entirety and decide on making the needed investment for the project," Hosillos added.
With consent of Lamut town, all local government units hosting the Alimit Hydro (Aguinaldo, Lagawe, and Mayoyao) have signified their approval for what is set to be Ifugao's first large-scale hydropower facility.
The project aims to draw water from the Alimit and Ibulao rivers tributary to the Magat river between Lagawe, Aguinaldo and Mayoyao towns, building an impounding reservoir to be supplemented by water to be diverted from the Ibulao river going to the Alimit river, giving Snap a 140 MW of capacity in the area.
Originally, the proposed complex was seen to have a power generating capacity of 390 MW with its third component, a 200 MW pumped storage put on hold due to market constraints.
The river is 33 kilometers long from its upper trenches in Aguinaldo and Mayaoyao to its confluence with the Magat Dam reservoir in Dulao, Lagawe in Ifugao.
First phase of the project entails the construction of the 120-megawatt Alimit Plant and the 20-MW Olilicon Plant. The capital outlay for this phase is expected to be between US$450 to US$550 million. The second phase of the complex includes the 250-MW Alimit pumped storage facility.
The Alimit HEPP Olilicon HEPP is located at the lower stretch of the Alimit River and Ibulao River, which are tributaries of the Magat River immediately upstream of the Magat reservoir, while the Alimit Pumped Storage upper reservoir is proposed to be located in a natural basin in the mountain range between the Alimit and Ibulao rivers.
The Lamut agreement outlines the cooperation, collaboration, and obligations between and among Snap as project proponent and the municipalities as hosts during the development and operation phase of the project.
"We believe that meaningful collaboration with our stakeholders and communities can help propel our country toward a more energy-secure future," said SN Aboitiz Power president and CEO Joseph Yu.
"We are thankful for the support and trust that the concerned local government units of Ifugao have extended to Snap and the Alimit Project," he added.