by Cristina Arzadon

PAGUDPUD, Ilocos Norte (9 March) -- The Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative is moving closer to upgrading two mini hydro electric plants here to complement the power it derives from other power-generating plants.

Since 1982, Inec has been operating the Agua-grande hydro power plant with a power generating capacity of 5 megawatts and capable of supplying power to 72,000 households in the towns of Adams, Dumalneg, Bangui, Pasuquin, Bacarra, Burgos and Pagudpud.

Hydropower, like other renewable energies such as wind, solar and geothermal, has been tested for their reliability since the 1970s. It makes use of small water resources like rivers and water falls in power generation.

The late Pres. Ferdinand Marcos directed the putting up of mini-hydro power stations nationwide as part of his rural electrification program.

Named after the Agua-grande River locally known as Dakkel a Danum here, the plant however, is merely producing more than 1 megawatt because only two of the five water turbines are running.

Engr. Wellington Vicente, plant manager, said the hydro plant could generate more than three megawatts if the other generators have been rehabilitated.

“Hydro power plants are viable power generators. But we to fix the other water turbines so that the plant can produce power to its capacity,” Vicente said.

The run-of-the-river type plant generates power depending on the volume of water from the river. The existing water volume could not fully drive the five water turbines to their full capacity.

Meanwhile, part of the rehabilitation efforts is the putting up of another plant at the Pansian and Pasaleng rivers here.

Another plant would have been installed in 1984 or two years after the commissioning of the Agua Grande plant. Inec was able to buy the lot and put up a two-storey structure as staff house when funds fell short.

The proposed plant is housed within the 285-hectare pole farm that Inec had planted to mahogany. The pole has become the source of power posts for the cooperative and helped improve vegetation in the area.

The development of the other power plant was abandoned later when Inec faced a worsening peace and order situation in the area at the time the project started in the 1980s.

Lorenzo Ruiz, president Inec’s Board of Directors, said the cooperative would tap private sources of funds to support the plant’s rehabilitation.

“We are now wrapping up the feasibility study. Hopes are high that we would able to get this done so that we can ease the load from our consumers who have long been feeling the pinch due to incessant rise in power cost,” Ruiz said.

The cooperative has commissioned the AV Garcia Power Systems Corp. to conduct the study.