News

Prime Infra’s 2-gigawatt (GW) pumped storage hydroelectric power projects were announced as potential winning bidders in the third Green Energy Auction (GEA), a key government program aimed at attracting more renewable investments in accelerating the country’s transition to cleaner energy. 

The Department of Energy (DOE) listed Prime Infra’s 600-megawatt (MW) Wawa and 1,400MW Pakil pumped storage projects in the Notice of Award it issued on June 9. 

“The DOE should be commended for what is an ambitious and critical program to enable the transition to green energy, maximizing indigenous energy, bringing the country a step closer to decarbonizing the grid, and to some extent, and more importantly, enabling energy security and stabilizing the cost of generation,” said Prime Infra President and CEO Guillaume Lucci.

The Wawa Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Project in Rizal is targeted to begin commercial operations by 2030. This facility will provide an energy storage capacity of 6,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) per day to the grid, and flexible charging and discharging capacity of 600MW through its state-of-the-art variable speed reversible pump turbines and motor-generators.  

Furthermore, the Wawa pumped storage project is integrated with the Upper Wawa Dam reservoir—the second phase of Prime Infra’s Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project—from which water will be pumped up into an artificial upper basin. This integration makes the pumped storage and bulk water supply projects a significant complex for ensuring water and energy security.

Meanwhile, the Pakil Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Project in Laguna will have an energy storage capacity of 14,000MWh per day and charging / discharging capabilities of 1,400MW, making it one of the largest pumped storage power projects in the world utilizing variable speed technology. It is set to be operational by 2030.

Prime Infra recently held a signing ceremony for the Notices to Proceed (NTPs) under the Engineering, Procurement, Construction contracts of the two projects. 

The NTP for the Wawa pumped storage project paves the way for its second phase of construction, which includes the powerhouse cavern, power waterways, upper basin, and its connection to the NGCP grid at 230 kilovolt (kV) voltage level. 

The first phase of the Wawa project has been substantially completed as of date. This includes the lower inlet/outlet, main access tunnel, escape ventilation and cable tunnel, and access roads. 

The NTP signed for the Pakil project, on the other hand, formalizes the full effectivity of the EPC contract, which includes the development of access roads for the construction of the upper reservoir, as well as power waterway, powerhouse, and lower inlet/outlet as well as grid connection facilities to the 500 kV grid of NGCP. 

Once completed, the Wawa and Pakil pumped storage projects are expected to significantly contribute to the required regulation and stabilization of the electrical grid needed for the government’s target of 35% renewable energy by 2030 and 50% by 2040 to be achieved.  

Both projects have received Certificates of Energy Project of National Significance (CEPNS) by the DOE and have received Green Lane endorsements by the Department of Trade and Industry and Board of Investments.