First Gen Corp. has commenced pre-development work on the country’s first variable-speed pumped-storage facility in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija.
“The preliminary assessment and feasibility studies have been completed. The project is now securing all of the national permits for it. Local permits have been granted, In fact, as we speak, access roads are being built,” said FGen Director and Executive Vice President Richard Tantoco.
The 100-megawatt (MW) Aya Pumped-Storage facility is being undertaken by subsidiary First Gen Hydro Power Corp. It will utilize the Pantabangan and Masiway Reservoirs. Once completed, the new Aya project will allow First Gen Hydro to store water pumped into a reservoir for use at a later time.
The company owns and operates the existing 132-MW Pantabangan-Masiway hydroelectric power plant project in Pantabangan.
A pumped storage facility stores and generates electricity by moving a volume of water between two reservoirs situated at different elevations (upper and lower reservoirs). Aside from energy, pumped storage facilities can be flexibly operated also to provide ancillary services to electricity grid for grid security and stability.
“Most other renewable sources suffer from variability. While we are optimistic that these will eventually be addressed given the speed of innovation of battery storage technology, we cannot wait until then,” First Gen President Francie Giles Puno said during the company’s stockholders’ meeting.
“Part of the hydro platform’s expansion involves the development of the 100-MW Aya Pumped-Storage facility capable of providing energy during peak periods and storing energy during off-peak periods. This is part of First Gen’s transition plan.”
In December last year, FG Hydro was granted by the Department of Energy (DOE) a Hydropower Service Contract (HSC) for the exclusive development of the project.
The hydro service contract gives the power firm five years to conduct predevelopment stage activities—from a preliminary assessment and feasibility study up to financial closing and declaration of commerciality.
The company earlier signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Irrigation Administration, related to the development of the same Aya hydro project.
First Gen is also pursuing other hydroelectric projects in Bukidnon, and Agusan del Norte.
First Gen is the largest company in the country that provides only clean and renewable power. In 2016 it declared that it would not develop, finance, or operate any coal-fired power plants.
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