6.8 MW Lamut Asipulo Run-of-River Hydro Project

Overview

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The life-giving Ifugao waters flow freely down the foot of the Cordillera mountain range, creating a large network of intertwined rivers. These rivers are more than just bodies of water – they are the lifeblood of the indigenous people, from the wondrous rice terraces created by the ancestors of the indigenous people to the hydropower projects of today. 

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Situated between the municipalities of Asipulo and Lamut in Ifugao is the Cawayan River, which spans the barangays of Pula and Panubtuban in Asipulo. These waters will soon give rise to a new 6.8MW run-ofriver hydro project of Lamut-Asipulo Mini Hydro Corporation (LAMHC), with an annual potential energy output of 33.3 GWh. 

 

Doing Things Right

 

As this project involves several communities, Alternergy took time to sit and speak with the residents of each community. With consent by the indigenous communities for the project in their ancestral domain, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples approved the MOA with the Kalaguya, Ayangan and Tuwali Indigenous Communities in August 2021.

 

Alternergy has also secured permits from various institutions, such as the Confirmation of Commerciality from the DOE, the assignment of the Hydro Service Contract of Lamut-Asipulo to LAMHC, endorsements from Local Government Units of Asipulo and Lamut, a Water Permit from the National Water Resources Board, an Environmental Compliance Certificate from the DENR, and the approval of the System Impact Study by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.

 

Accomplishing Great Things Together

 

In Exeter Portofino Holdings, Alternergy has found the right partner for this project.  The principals of Exeter have long been involved in community development in Ifugao since 2003.

 

With the creation of this hydro facility, Alternergy hopes to embody what the indigenous people have long known – that together, we can do truly great things.

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They set up several daycare centers throughout Ifugao under their Operation Brotherhood Pagsasarili program to train teachers and provide classroom materials to educate children including their parents as a means of passing on their traditions and preserving their culture. 

 

Together with Exeter Portofino Holdings, Alternergy has begun putting together a team to complete the project. Most of these contractors are those that have already worked alongside Alternergy on the Dupinga and Kiangan projects. Contracts have been signed for Civil Works by a consortium led by AIP Construction, Electro-Mechanical Supply from Gugler, and construction by MN Electro for a 9km transmission line traversing the barangays Hollowon, Panopdopan, and Nayon in Lamut. Development Bank of the Philippines approved a P1.02 billion loan for LAMHC, to support sustainable infrastructure and environmental protection in the Cordillera region.

 

LAMHC has already conducted a comprehensive feasibility study, an ecological study and sustainability plan, geotechnical geological and geohazard studies, a watershed management plan, and a hydrology and energy generation analysis. Throughout 2020, a third-party peer review on geotechnical works, a detailed engineering design, and the final peer review on detailed design were all completed. 

 

With the creation of this hydro facility, Alternergy hopes to embody what the indigenous people have long known – that together, we can do truly great things.