KE has sent this same sentiments to many GO's departments regarding a proposal to construct a hydroelectric power plant in the Aklan
River at Dalagsaan, Libacao that will serve the needs of the people of Panay.
If it were fully implemented, this project would also provide much-needed
potable drinking water and irrigation water for Iloilo. We have also written to Senator Loren Legarda
in her capacity as Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change.
We have also attached an Executive Summary outlines to the proposal to resurrect
the project that was cancelled in 2008 to construct a hydroelectric power
station at Dalagsaan that will produce up to 150 MW at a projected cost of US
$420 million, for which California Energy completed a two-year feasibility
study. This would provide a reliable and
much cheaper power supply for all of the residents of Panay Island, and reduce
the burden on the National Grid. It will
also enable local authorities to control the down-river flow of water, thus greatly reducing the risk of flooding in Kalibo, as
happened during Typhoon Frank, whilst providing potable drinking and irrigation
water for Iloilo, at an estimated cost of US $ 150 million.
(We have received replies and all communications from the National office points to our DENR Regional and the Local Government in Aklan.) Say nyo?!!!
Here below is that Executive Summary:
An Evaluation of the Different Methods of Producing
Introduction
4. Considering that the energy shortfall for Panay is already 62 MW and that this is projected to increase exponentially in the years ahead, by far the best solution would be to resurrect the hydroelectric project that was planned for the Aklan River at Dalagsaan, for which California Energy conducted a two-year feasibility study. CalEn had proposed the construction of an 80 MW hydroelectric power station at a projected cost of US$420 million, including roadways, bridges, powerhouse, underground tunnels, the hydro dam and the cost of the experts needed to complete the specialized technology and designs. They estimated that the power station could produce up to 150 MW. Unfortunately CalEn cancelled the project in 2008, citing the global financial crisis and the lack of response from MWSS in Manila to an unsolicited proposal that the company had submitted to MWSS, which was effectively a pre-condition of the Libacao Project. The fact that CalEn were planning to construct an 80 MW hydroelectric plant in the Aklan River at Dalagsaan already confirms the feasibility of so doing. Even if CalEn cannot be persuaded to reconsider their decision, there is the possibility that another company would agree to fund and construct the plant, preferably as a National Build Operate and Transfer Project under the auspices of the DOE.
5. Water in the reservoir above the main dam at Dalagsaan could be used to provide another essential by-product. There is currently a chronic shortage of potable drinking water in Iloilo, which could be alleviated by the construction of a tunnel through the hills from the Aklan River Valley to Calinog, Iloilo, which is at a lower elevation, to provide a continuous supply of potable drinking water for Iloilo.
8. It would be feasible to construct a large hydroelectric power plant in the River Aklan at Dalagsaan under the auspices of the Department of Energy. According to estimates this plant could provide between 80 and 150 MW of electrical power, which would more than offset the shortfall in the Island of Panay. This would provide a reliable and much cheaper power supply for all of the residents of Panay Island, and reduce the burden on the National Grid. It will also enable local authorities to control the down-river flow of water, thus greatly reducing the risk of catastrophic flooding in Kalibo and Numancia, whilst providing a constant supply of potable drinking water for Iloilo. The relocation and support of the indigenous people affected must be safeguarded as part of the project.
Here below is that Executive Summary:
An Evaluation of the Different Methods of Producing
Additional Electrical Power in Aklan Province
Executive Summary
Introduction
1.
There is a severe overall shortage of electrical power in the
Philippines. Western Visayas currently has a shortage of approximately 62 MW of
power compared to peak requirement, and this shortfall is being ‘managed’ by
the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) by means of rotating ‘brown
outs’. The DOE projected that the
Cebu-Negros-Panay Grid would need a total of 261 MW in 2010 to avert a power
shortage. Energy and local government
officials and business groups are pushing for the establishment of coal-fired
plants in Panay Island to ensure a stable energy supply and to break the island’s
dependence on imported energy from the geo-thermal plants in Leyte and the
Visayas Power Grid. However, we believe there are cheaper alternatives, using
renewable energy resources that could result in lower production and
transmission costs, thereby producing cheaper electrical power for consumers in
Panay.
Nuclear Energy and Coal Fired Plants
2.
In the light of the recent cataclysmic nuclear disaster in Japan
following the devastating earthquake and tsunami, we question the advisability
of constructing any nuclear energy plant in a country like the Philippines,
which is prone to frequent earthquakes, because of its position on the edge of
a tectonic plate. We consider it would
be imprudent to commission a nuclear plant located in Bataan at the center of
the Philippine archipelago, within 50 kilometers of Metro Manila, by far the
most heavily populated area of the Philippines.
We also question whether the Philippines would be able to cope with a
nuclear disaster, given that a modern and highly sophisticated country like
Japan, which has significant experience in this field, is clearly struggling to
overcome massive technical difficulties.
We are also opposed to the construction of additional coal fired power
stations that will contribute negatively to global warming.
3. The attached paper, which you may
wish to refer to, considers the advantages and disadvantages of various
different methods of producing additional electrical power in Aklan Province
and compares the relative merits of biomass against solar, wind and
hydroelectric systems. Whilst there are some advantages to biomass, the system
is neither cheap, efficient nor environmentally friendly.
4. Considering that the energy shortfall for Panay is already 62 MW and that this is projected to increase exponentially in the years ahead, by far the best solution would be to resurrect the hydroelectric project that was planned for the Aklan River at Dalagsaan, for which California Energy conducted a two-year feasibility study. CalEn had proposed the construction of an 80 MW hydroelectric power station at a projected cost of US$420 million, including roadways, bridges, powerhouse, underground tunnels, the hydro dam and the cost of the experts needed to complete the specialized technology and designs. They estimated that the power station could produce up to 150 MW. Unfortunately CalEn cancelled the project in 2008, citing the global financial crisis and the lack of response from MWSS in Manila to an unsolicited proposal that the company had submitted to MWSS, which was effectively a pre-condition of the Libacao Project. The fact that CalEn were planning to construct an 80 MW hydroelectric plant in the Aklan River at Dalagsaan already confirms the feasibility of so doing. Even if CalEn cannot be persuaded to reconsider their decision, there is the possibility that another company would agree to fund and construct the plant, preferably as a National Build Operate and Transfer Project under the auspices of the DOE.
Potable
Drinking Water for Iloilo
5. Water in the reservoir above the main dam at Dalagsaan could be used to provide another essential by-product. There is currently a chronic shortage of potable drinking water in Iloilo, which could be alleviated by the construction of a tunnel through the hills from the Aklan River Valley to Calinog, Iloilo, which is at a lower elevation, to provide a continuous supply of potable drinking water for Iloilo.
Flood
Control and Improved Irrigation
7. The
construction of a dam at Dalagsaan will enable the local authorities to
control the down stream flow of river water, so that the danger of a
catastrophic flood, as happened during Typhoon Frank in 2007, which killed 53
people and made 12,000 Aklan families homeless, can be eliminated. This will greatly reduce the risk of flooding,
particularly in Kalibo and Numancia. The irrigation system in Aklan could also
be upgraded to provide an improved and uninterrupted water supply to
agricultural rice land in the Province.
The reservoir itself could be used for fish farming to provide an
alternative source of food and income for the indigenous people of Dalagsaan.
Conclusion
8. It would be feasible to construct a large hydroelectric power plant in the River Aklan at Dalagsaan under the auspices of the Department of Energy. According to estimates this plant could provide between 80 and 150 MW of electrical power, which would more than offset the shortfall in the Island of Panay. This would provide a reliable and much cheaper power supply for all of the residents of Panay Island, and reduce the burden on the National Grid. It will also enable local authorities to control the down-river flow of water, thus greatly reducing the risk of catastrophic flooding in Kalibo and Numancia, whilst providing a constant supply of potable drinking water for Iloilo. The relocation and support of the indigenous people affected must be safeguarded as part of the project.
