Local company Taft Hydro Energy Corp. said Thursday it completed the commissioning works on its 16- megawatt hydropower project in Barangay San Rafael, Taft, Eastern Samar.
The project is expected to support the country’s growing need for power especially the island of Samar which is part of the country’s Tuna Highway.
It said the lack of power constrained investments in cold storage facilities for tuna fishermen to maximize the potential of the tuna industry.
“Hydro projects are challenging to build, but despite the pandemic THEC did it in record time of less than two years. THEC is grateful to the support of the Department of Energy, Development Bank of the Philippines, the electric cooperatives, local government of Eastern and Western Samar, the local communities and our workers on the ground who went the extra mile so we can complete this project on time and on budget,” THEC president Benjie Picardo said in a statement.
“Our fishermen cannot wait for the project to come online soon enough. At the same time, the completion of the THEC project will create a major economic multiplier by the opening of investment opportunities in cold storage, processing plants, and even in tourism,” Picardo said.
THEC utilizes the Taft-Tubig River in Barangay San Rafael to provide stable and affordable electricity in Samar Island and Leyte province.
“With this plant, local places will get energy required for normal life and grid improvement,” said Aleksander Ikodinovic, who represented Global Hydro Energy—THEC’s electromechanical supplier.
THEC tapped a P1-billion loan from DBP to partly fund the construction of the project which is located 1.2 kilometers from the National Highway.
THEC planted over 30,000 tree saplings at the Samar Island Natural Park and is committed to plant a total of 500,000 trees for the life of the project to support the integrity of the watershed area.
It is also an engaged partner of the community, employing more than 726 laborers or about 70 percent of its workforce who used to be engaged in illegal logging and coal or uling making.
A cooperative was set up to provide meals to the workers and encourage entrepreneurship especially among the women and mothers in the community. THEC donated a water refilling station, a bakery and a mini gasoline station.
THEC is a project company under Magis Energy Holdings Corp., a Filipino company organized to harness the power of renewable energy sources for power. Magis Energy is also the owner of Matuno River Development Corp., the project company responsible for the 8.6-MW hydroelectric project in Bamban, Nueva Vizcaya.