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SNAP-Magat inaugurates 8.5 MW Maris hydro

January 26, 2018

SN Aboitiz Power-Magat, Inc. (SNAP-Magat) marked the successful commissioning of the 8.5-megawatt (MW) Maris Main Canal Hydroelectric Power plant with an inauguration and ceremonial switch-on earlier today.

Senator Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian, Undersecretary Jesus Posadas of the Department of Energy, representing Secretary Alfonso Cusi, Norwegian Ambassador Erik Forner, and Governor Faustino Dy III of Isabela led the ceremony held in the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Dams and Reservoir Division compound in Ramon, Isabela.

The switch-on ceremony was witnessed by NIA Administrator Ret. General Ricardo Visaya, Norfund Chairperson Kristin Clemet, SN Power Country Director Tor Stokke, AboitizPower President and Chief Operating Officer Antonio Moraza, AboitizPower Generation Group Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Emmanuel Rubio, and Ramon Mayor Jesus Laddaran.

Maris hydro is the first power plant constructed by SN Aboitiz Power Group since it acquired the 380-MW Magat hydro in 2007 through privatization. It is composed of two Kaplan generator units with a nameplate capacity of 4.25 MW each. Unit 1 was commissioned on October 24 while Unit 2 was commissioned on November 6, 2017.

Senator Gatchalian lauded the plant's commitment to help the community.

"I've visited three of Aboitiz's power plants and the common observation that I have in my mind is that in every power plant, the community is always at the forefront. I've noticed that they put a lot of value into their host communities, local government, barangays, and the people living around their power plants," Senator Gatchalian said.

The Maris hydro project was proposed by SNAP-Magat’s operations and maintenance team under the company’s business creativity and innovation program. It was then developed and implemented by the business development group and later turned over to SNAP-Magat for operation.

Antonio R. Moraza, AboitizPower President and COO, in his speech, highlighted the benefits of the Maris hydro project to its host communities.

"We will continue to pursue greenfield projects in the area. These projects are not only environmentally sound; they bring with them employment, roads, additional taxes, stable power supply, plus other benefits to the communities," Moraza said.

In his speech, President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Yu said, “Today is a celebration of the partnerships that made this project possible: the synergy of local and international expertise; the collaboration with the provincial and local governments, agencies, and communities, and the tireless effort of an amazing team which contributed greatly to our project’s success. This was truly a collaborative effort – and will continue to be – as we work together to power positive change for our country, our host communities, and our team.

Maris hydro utilizes the water coming from Magat hydro that goes into the Maris re-regulating dam located downstream of Magat, before flowing into the Maris Main (South) Irrigation Canal.

Construction of the PHP2.15 billion run-of-river hydro plant took about two years. In 2017, the project was awarded the Corporate Safety Milestone Award by the Safety and Health Association of the Philippine Energy Sector, Inc. for accumulating at least one million man-hours without lost time accident.

Maris hydro is located in Brgy. Ambatali in Ramon, Isabela, making the barangay the newest addition to SNAP-Magat's roster of host communities. The municipality of Ramon and province of Isabela are already host communities of SNAP-Magat by virtue of Magat hydro, which stands on the border of Ramon, Isabela and Alfonso Lista, Ifugao.