First Gen to begin with $200-M plant

First Gen Corp. is targeting to start construction works for its $200-million pumped-storage hydro facility in Luzon, by the last quarter of the year.

According to the annual report of Energy Development Corp. (EDC), First Gen Hydro Power Corp. (FG Hydro) is leading the development of the Aya pumped-storage asset.

This is meant to boost the capacity of the Pantabangan-Masiway plant complex by up to 120 megawatts (MW).

EDC, a subsidiary of First Gen, leads the deployment of geothermal, solar, wind and hydro projects.

The Aya facility is designed to store and generate electricity by moving water between the Pantabangan reservoir and the Masiway reservoir.

“The project is designed to allow full-year operations independent of the irrigation demands from the National Irrigation Administration,” the report said.

Based on a document posted on the website of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, FG Hydro would invest in two units of 60 MW turbines, for a total generation capacity of 120 MW.

The project is in response to Luzon’s growing electricity demand, which has been putting pressure on the grid system. The proposed facility is also envisioned to provide stability, especially with the adoption of more renewable energy sources.

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Clean electricity generators have been equipping their facilities with storage capacity to set aside excess power, giving them the flexibility to release it when the demand peaks.

The time of the completion of the Aya project, however, was not specified.

First Gen said that its 2025 profit went up by 8 percent to $264 million from a year ago’s $245 million, driven by its hydro portfolio.