[ Manila Bulletin Online ] February 2, 2009
By JUNE S. BLANCO
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol — Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado is mulling the establishment of more mini-hydroelectric power plants across the province.
He said the move aims to produce more locally-generated renewable energy for more dependable power that is pollution-free.
As this developed, Aumentado issued Executive Order (EO) No. 4, Series of 2009, creating a technical working group (TWG) to study the possibility of harnessing the Bohol river basins for hydroelectric power.
He said a sufficient and dependable supply of electric power is necessary to fuel and sustain the emergence and growth of various industries in Bohol.
Records show that local production is only 26.61 megawatts (MW) but peak demand already stands at around 60 MW.
This means Bohol is dependent to a large extent on the 80 to 100 MW it gets from the Tongonan Geothermal Power Plant in nearby Leyte Province tapped through the 18-kilometer submarine cable of the Leyte-Bohol Interconnection Project (LBIP).
Local sources include the Bohol Diesel Power Plant in this city owned by the National Power Corporation (Napocor), the Janopol Hydroelectric Plant in Balilihan town owned by the Bohol I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Boheco-1), Janopol Mini Hydro Corp., the Loboc Hydroelectric Plant in Loboc town owned by Sta. Clara International, and the Sevilla Hydroelectric Power Plant in Sevilla town owned by Boheco 1-Sevilla Mini Hydro Corp.
Despite the LBIP, Bohol still experiences power outages because of trouble in the lines on the Leyte side, pushing Aumentado to develop more local hydroelectric energy – which is also in consonance with Republic Act 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008.
This law aims to accelerate the exploration and development of renewable energy resources like biomass, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and ocean energy sources, including hybrid systems, to achieve energy self-reliance, through the adoption of sustainable energy development strategies to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.
At the same time, this will minimize the country’s exposure to price fluctuations in international markets that have domino effects on practically all sectors of the economy.
Coupled with the ongoing National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) Bohol Backbone Transmission Project, which will replace existing poles with high-tension steel towers, establish a new "backbone" from the Ubay substation to the Corella substation and upgrade 69 kilovolt (kV) lines to 138 kV, the hydro power plants will finally give the province dependable power for the expected increase in consumption with the start of construction and operationalization of the Panglao, Bohol International Airport.
EO 04 names the TWG members to study the possible harnessing of Bohol’s river basins for hydroelectric power as the governor as chair; Engr. Asisclo Gonzaga, former president of Napocor and TransCo as co-chair; and the director of the Visayas Field Office of the Department of Energy or his permanent representative as vice chair.
The members are the general manager or president of Sta. Clara International, the general manger of Boheco 1, the manager of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) Tagbilaran Branch, the chair of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Environment, the chair of the Provincial Cooperative Development Council, the provincial planning and development coordinator, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer, the head of the Bohol Environment Management Office, the provincial legal officer and the mayors of the municipalities with identified river basins for hydroelectric power development.
The EO tasks the TWG to determine which among the Bohol river basins are suitable sites for hydroelectric power plants and conduct studies, assessments and evaluations, invite resource persons and obtain pertinent data from appropriate government offices, the academe, persons or entities.
It will then prepare the comprehensive project profile preparatory to the project feasibility study and scout around for funding sources including Official Development Assistance (ODA) such as the World Bank’s energy funding.
The TWG is scheduled to conduct its initial meeting on Feb. 20.
________________________________________________________________________
