San Miguel Global Power pushes 2 major hydro projects
San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp., the energy firm of tycoon Ramon Ang, is going all out for hydropower developments.
SMGP has nearly P90 billion earmarked for two planned two massive pumped storage facilities in Pangasinan and Benguet.
Based on documents submitted to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, SMGP unit San Roque Hydropower Inc. (SRHI) proposes to build two 800-megawatt (MW) pumped storage projects.
One is the San Roque West segment, which straddles Barangays San Roque and San Manuel in Pangasinan and Barangay Ampucao in Itogon, Benguet. It has a total project area of 112.94 hectares.
SRHI wants to install a dam, power waterways, a powerhouse and transmission lines as well as access roads and tunnels. SMGP estimates the project cost at P46.29 billion.
Like the west segment, the 800-MW San Roque Lower East pumped storage facility has a similar design.
It has a project area of 123.63 hectares and might require about P42.37 billion, according to the documents.
The east project would cover Barangays San Felipe East in San Nicolas, Pangasinan and Barangay Dalupirip in Itogon.
Balancing the grid
SMGP said the integration of pumped storage hydropower—or PSH—could serve “as a grid-balancing solution.” This considering that the Philippines pushes for more renewables capacity and hopes to cut its dependence on coal.
“With the country’s shift towards variable renewable energy, challenges such as intermittent and mismatches between supply and demand arise, particularly during peak periods,” the holding firm said.
“PSH offers significant advantages, including the ability to store large amounts of energy and rapidly respond to fluctuations, thus enhancing grid stability,” the document read.
SMGP’s portfolio includes facilities that run on natural gas, coal, and renewable energy. The latter include hydroelectric power and battery energy storage systems.
The Energy Regulatory Commission earlier said that San Miguel Corp. was the biggest player in the power generation business. This was after San Miguel cornered a 22.4-percent market share in 2024.
As of February, SMGP’s capacity across its portfolio is about 5,356 MW.
