Indigenous peoples OK Benguet hydroelectric power project

BANGUED, Abra – Indigenous peoples’ (IPs) groups have approved the proposed first-of-its-kind 500 megawatt Pump Storage Hydro Electric Project in Kibungan, Benguet.

The indigenous peoples of the Kibungan ancestral domain, gave their consent to the project via the government-required Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) process conducted by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).

The renewable energy project, according to the Cordillera Hydro Electric Power Corporation (Coheco) Badeo Corporation –will usher in countless benefits to the environment and development in the area because aside from very minimal environmental impact, the project will generate 500 megawatts of power.

The 345-megawatt San Roque Multipurpose Dam, built in 1998 in San Manuel, Pangasinan, which has headwaters along the Agno River in Benguet has submerged a vast area in Benguet and Pangasinan, while the Ambuklao Dam in Bokod, also in Benguet built in the 70s submerged indigenous villages.

The P35 billion Kibungan Pump Storage Hydro Electric Project is projected to make a major contribution to the country’s source of energy and enahnce the livelihood of the people and the tourism industry in Benguet.

The project will utilize an impounding facility on a 15.2-hectare land located on a higher elevation, and capable of producing more hydroelectric power.

The pumped hydroelectric storage is the most widely adopted utility-scale electricity storage technology, Coheco Badeo Corporation said.

Coheco Badeo Corporation said that with the approval of the project, Benguet will emerge as a hub for renewable energy in the Cordillera.