THE Department of Energy (DoE) has accepted six project proposals that seek to use water from Laguna de Bay to produce power using pumped-storage hydroelectricity.

The process generates electricity from the release of pumped and stored water in a reservoir.

“We have accepted six service contract applications over Laguna Lake,” Mario C. Marasigan, who heads the Department of Energy’s renewable energy management bureau.

“All of these projects are pumped storage,” he said, identifying Citicore Power, Inc. and Phinma Energy Corp. as among the project proponents.

He said the proposals would require pumping water from Laguna de Bay and storing it in a reservoir at a higher elevation. When there is a demand for electricity, the stored water is released through turbines to produce power.

He said the range of capacity targeted by the proponents is from 400 megawatts (MW) to 600 MW. The final figure will depend on the outcome of their feasibility studies, he added.

Mr. Marasigan said the six projects would total around 3,000 MW depending on whether Laguna de Bay is able to accommodate the projects. The projects are distributed around the Rizal and Laguna sides of the lake, he said.

He said the feasibility studies of the proponents would answer whether Laguna de Bay has sufficient water to allow the construction of the power generation facilities. The government has a similar project installed — the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan power generation complex in Laguna, which has a combined capacity of around 379 MW.

Mr. Marasigan said interest in putting up a pumped storage facility in Laguna de Bay follows the passage of the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 and the Mini-hydroelectric Power Incentive Act of 1990.

He said before the passage of the two laws, only government agency National Power Corp. held the exclusive authority to exploit the country’s river systems and water bodies for power development.

“All six projects are in the pre-development stage,” Mr. Marasigan said.

Sought for comment, Rio Q. Balaba, Citicore energy regulations manager, said the company was awarded about a month ago a service contract to develop certain areas in Laguna.

Citicore’s technical working group was “formulating the project development landscape and procedure on how to move with the project,” he said.

“We are given under the service contract a pre-development stage of five years. But we are as aggressive and very committed for our renewable energy development,” he told reporters.

“We wanted, as much as possible, earlier than five,” he said, adding that the project will depend on the outcome of the feasibility study. — Victor V. Saulon

AFTER a hiatus following the rejection of former Environment Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez by the Commission on Appointments in May, the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) is set to meet again July 25 with the aim of coming up with a shortlist of experts who will review the status of all operational mines in the country.

“What’s on the agenda is the shortlisting of the possible members of the review team. And the other agenda item is the terms of reference in the engagement of professional services,” Mines and Geosciences Bureau Acting Director Wilfredo G. Moncano said in a phone interview over the weekend while confirming that the mining council is set to meet on that date.

Mr. Moncano said the MICC has compiled a list of people to be tapped and will select them on the basis of the earlier approved qualifications which disallow the inclusion of those employed, or involved with operating mines and/or any anti-mining group.

Selected experts should also have 10 years of experience in the technical aspects of mining or social development.

The MICC is seeking specialists in the law, social development, the economy, minerals and the environment.

The interagency subcommittee includes representatives of the Departments of Finance, Environment and Natural Resources, Labor and Employment, Energy, Social Welfare and Development, the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples. The panel will evaluate the suitability of each potential expert.

Asked if the review of the 26 miners ordered closed or suspended by Ms. Lopez will hold to the three-month timetable, as initially targeted, Mr. Moncano said: “We’ll see.”

The MICC under Executive Order 79, is mandated to review the status of all operating mines every two years.

However, since 2012 when the order was signed, the council has met only this year to discuss the review, as ordered by President Rodrigo R. Duterte after Ms. Lopez moved to shut mines down due to alleged environmental violations.

Some half of the affected miners have filed a motion for reconsideration with the Environment department, which are now being reviewed, while half have addressed their appeals to the Office of the President. — Janina C. Lim