The Department of Energy of the Philippines has announced plans to auction at least 40 prospective mini-hydro sites for exploration and development in the fourth quarter, HydroWorld.com has learned.
These run-of-river sites are located in Luzon and Visayas and have capacities of 1 to 2 MW each. Bidders will submit offers that will be judged based on their technical and financial programs.
The government’s installation target is 250 MW for the development of hydropower in the first three years, according to DoE Undersecretary Jose Layug. “Under these contracts, project proponents will still need to conduct a two-year feasibility study to determine whether the flow of the river is sufficient for their project,” he says.
As of July, the DoE had awarded 151 service contracts with combined capacity of 2,506 MW for hydroelectric projects.
Earlier this month, HydroWorld.com reported on an agreement between the National Irrigation Administration and the Japan International Cooperation Agency that hopefully will help cultivate small hydropower development.
Hydro development work is progressing in the country, with Hedcor Inc. breaking ground on its 7-MW Tudaya 2 hydropower project less than two weeks ago.
