NATIONAL Irrigation Administration chief Ricardo Visaya has approved nine memoranda of understanding with six hydropower developers.
The pacts shall allow developers to conduct feasibility studies on the development of proposed hydropower plants within several NIA irrigation systems.
The feasibility study is at no cost to NIA, and will also have an inextensible term of one year from effectivity, Visayas said. The memorandum does not vest preferential or exclusive right to a developer to develop and implement the project upon the completion of the feasibility study.
“We will not spend here. No other irrigation systems will be removed because part of the memorandum of understanding is to instruct the developer not to remove, displace or destroy any improvement during the study,” Visaya said.
The developers included C Squared Prime Commodities Corp., which is interested in putting up a conventional hydroelectric power plant at the Agno river irrigation system in Pangasinan; Philcarbon Inc. intending to develop a 600-kW hydroelectric power plant along Maris Magat F in Cordon, Isabela; and Iraya Energy Corp., proposing to develop a 1-megawatt hydroelectric power plant along Maris (South) main canal in Ramon, Isabela.
The other developers signing the MOUs are Matuno River Development Corp., Tokyo Electric Power Services Co. Ltd. and DA Green Power Consultancy.
Visaya, a former Armed Forces chief of staff, vowed to optimize the potential of NIA’s existing irrigation systems, put up eco-tourism destinations, and build more hydropower plants in all potential irrigation sites owned and being managed by the agency.
He said 357 potential hydropower sites have been identified. Upon development, the sites would provide electricity to far-flung communities and boost the economic development of the country “as a whole.”