BUGUIAS, Benguet – The Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) disclosed its 3-megawatt minihydro power plant in sitio Man-asok, barangay Sebang, here, will be operational by the middle of this year to provide added renewable energy capacity to the increasing power demand of consumers of the cooperative.
BENECO Power Generation Department Manager Engr. Ricardo S. Pallogan said the construction of the minihydro’s facilities will be completed by the first quarter of this year while the plant will be commissioned by the second quarter in time for its projected operation.
He disclosed the ongoing works on the cooperative’s minihydro power plant is around 55 percent completed and efforts are being done by the cooperative’s technical personnel to complete the project and make the same operational the soonest considering that the completion and operation of the renewable energy plant is slightly delayed.
Pallogan claimed the electric cooperative accomplished significant gains in its attempt to make its first power generation plant operational to help provide adequate renewable energy that will be blended with its existing power supply from its supplier based in Sual, Pangasinan.
Earlier, BENECO acquired a P450 million loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to bankroll the put up of its 3-megawatt minihydro power plant in the municipality.
On his part, BENECO General Manager Gerardo P. Verzosa admitted that venturing into power generation was a late management decision but there is still a need to pursue the same to ensure that the electric cooperative will remain at par with similarly situated cooperatives and private distribution utilities in the country.
He disclosed BENECO will continue to develop other potential sources of renewable energy within its franchise are to ensure the electric cooperative will have cheap sources of power to keep its power rates at the lowest possible cost for the benefit of its rapidly increasing number of consumers.
Aside from its ongoing 3-megawatt minihydro plant project in Man-asok, Sebang, here, BENECO is also eyeing the put up of 1-megawatt solar power project in Tuba, Benguet and the development of a 1-megawatt minihydro power plant in Kabayan and other similar projects not only within the province, but also in other neighboring provinces, to help expand its sources of renewable energy and make it competitive in the country’s power industry.
At present, BENECO sources bulk of its power supply from a coal-fired power plant in Sual, Pangasinan with its existing power supply agreement ending in March 2024.
BENECO is one of the few Class AAA rural electric cooperatives operating in the country ably maintaining a single digit systems loss, 100 percent collection efficiency on the monthly bills of its consumers, a computerized billing and collection system, a high standard headquarters, among others, that is being used as a benchmark for other ailing and performing electric cooperatives in the different parts of the country over the past several years..
BENECO has a franchise for power distribution in Baguio and Benguet that will expire in the year 2028.
By HENT
