The plan to set up a 5-megawatt worth Php1.3billion Cantakoy hydro power plant in barangay Cabatuan, Danao will be re-evaluated as a promising source of  additional power supply in the province.

 “Potential sites for power supply development are Danao (Cantakoy Hydro Power),” according to the just-presented Bohol Island Power Development Plan (BIPDP), consisting Power Supply Plan (generation plan); Transmission Development Plan (TDP); Distribution Development Plan/s (DDP); and Electrification Plan.

 The said plan (BIPDP) is under the Bohol Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan for 2010-2015 prepared by Bohol Provincial Planning and Development office (PPDO) during the  Provincial Development Council meeting held last December of last year.

 Included in the considering hydro power sources are Loboc Hydro Power; Janopol Hydro in Balilihan; Antequera’s Inambacan; Manaba river in Garcia-Hernandez; Balili and Odiong in Jagna; Caimbang in San Isidro; Alejawan in Duero; and Gabi in Ubay.

 It was learned that the mulling over the Cantakoy that drew controversies over environmental issues years back was arrived at by the power planners following the series of blackouts in what the PPDO’s statements on its website described as paralyzing business in Bohol. There have been several blackouts occurred in last December and past months.

 The province wanted to have its own generating capacity or island based power generating to cushion the impact of blackouts that are more on distribution-related rather than supply-related.

 “The power generation projects using appropriate technologies in suitable areas of the province include formulation of a long-term Bohol Island Power Development Plan (BIPDP) to ensure security of supply–-available when needed; reliability and resiliency (climate-proof) of supply; and affordability (least-cost),” report said.

 PPDO said that Bohol relies mainly on its power supply from Leyte geothermal interconnection with “dependable capacity” of 106.2 MW and 110MW as “installed capacity.”

 Bohol is being powered by island based power generating plants: former Bohol Diesel Power Plant but currently run by Southern Island Power Corp with installed power of 22 MW and dependable 17.5MW; former Loboc Hydro plant now run by Santa Clara Corp, 1.2MW and 1.2 MW; Hanopol hydro plant, 5MW for “installed” and “dependable;” and Sevilla Min-hydro managed by Boheco I, 2.5MW for both capacities.

 PPDO said that the net reserve of the power supply is about 58.2MW and the forecast demand would be 48MW.

Cantakoy’s ECC

ECC No. RO7-0903-018-0120 issued on August 11, 2009 by then EMB regional director Rolando N. Luego of DENR in Cebu covers the proposed 5.2-megawatt project located in Cantakoy Falls, Barangay Cabatuan, Danao town with an area coverage of about 53 hectares, PENRO Nestor Canda said in his findings.

 It includes the development and operation component of the small 30-meter high dam “fitted with radial gates as well as sluice gates will be constructed to create head and small impoundment penstock, pipe of approximately 53 meters long embedded in concrete, 2.4/69kv step transformers in the open air, tailrace, switchyard and access road to the power plant as indicated in the submitted IEER document,” he said.

 ECC is not a permit per se, said Talibon-based OIC Community environment and Natural Resources Officer Palaca, but a set of conditions for the project proponent to follow mainly to cushion the impact of environmental degradation and for protection purposes.

 From originally 5.2MW, the project’s capacity is now proposed to raise to 8 MW as proposed based on the ECC amendment on September 9, 2011. The dam height has been increased to some 40 meters from 30 meters.

 The ECC was applied by the Sta. Clara Power Corp. (SCPC) through its vice-president for operation Dominador R. Borje, as project proponent. But now the actual project implementer is the Quadriver Energy Corp., which can claim it is the “owner” of the ECC as approved by then EMB OIC regional director Rolando N. Luego.

 The ECC numbered RO7-0903-018-0120 issued on August 11, 2009 by EMB stipulated that “a readily available and replenishable EGF” of PhP50,000 is intended for the following: compensation/indemnification of whatever damages to life and property caused by the project; rehabilitation and/or restoration of areas affected by the project implementation; and decommissioning of the project facilities related to possible negative impacts.

 The ECC is issued in compliance with the Presidential Decree No. 1586 and Dept. Administrative Order No. 2003-30. It is contains restrictions and conditions by which the holder must observed and comply. Under this project ECC, included are the following (a) environmental management and monitoring plan (EMMOP); and (b) general provisions, such as compliance with other national laws:Toxic Substance and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990 (RA 6969); The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 (RA 8749); Ecological Solid Waste Management Program Act of 2000 (RA 9003); and Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 (RA 9275).

 Then project manager John Jorge Orbe and hydrologist Fred Donato representing the Quadriver Energy Corp. (QEC) and project manager Lydio Ranon for the Sta. Clara International Corp., which is the project contractor, welcomed the provincial officials in visiting the site to find out the allegations that the project proponent failed to comply the provisions of the ECC.

Project officials told the team that the QEC is the “offspring” of both the Ayala Corp and Sta. Clara Power Corp. under an agreed sharing scheme and the one contracting the job is the Sta. Clara International Corp. (rvo)