MARIVELES, Bataan — The Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan on Tuesday announced that a 522–kilowatt hydropower plant will rise at the Freeport Area of Bataan here.
AFAB administrator Emmanuel D. Pineda said construction started with the groundbreaking held last week by the Southeast Asia Renewable Power Corp.
He pointed out that the project has relevance to his “SOFT HEART” agenda as the freeport administrator. It stands for socially relevant, operationally viable, financially feasible, technologically advanced – housing, expansion areas, accessibility, renewable energy, transportation.
“We are glad to be part of this momentous occasion. Renewable energy is really very close to my heart,” Pineda said.
He said that the project is initially small but that it is just the start because they imposed upon the operator that the water to be used to run the turbines should be limited to the volume that the FAB was actually treating. They do not want any of the water wasted.
The hydropower plant aims to effectively utilize the available water from FAB existing reservoir by producing an alternative, clean energy generation without interfering with the freeport’s existing water treatment plant and water supply operation, the administrator said.
Pineda explained that the layout of the plant was prepared in terms of penstock alignment, location of power house and water transfer with the highest consideration, particularly in the operation of the existing FAB water treatment plant.
He added that the available reservoir outflow/river flow for power generation was estimated through differential mass curve method.
“The average daily flow available for power generation was placed at 0.60 centimeters and the maximum installed capacity of 522 KW was determined in consideration of the peak and off-peak power generation,” Pineda said.
