Hydropower developers seek higher tariff for run-of-river

HYDROPOWER developers are seeking a higher, more “reasonable” tariff for run-of-river (RoR) hydropower projects to attract further investment, an industry official said.

- Sheldeen Joy Talavera

On the sidelines of the Third Philippine Hydro Summit on Tuesday, Gertrude V. Roque, president of PhilHydro Association, Inc, said that increasing the tariff would attract more developers.

“The reality is that we're not just producing water or power, but we are also taking care of the watershed and the infrastructure that we contribute to the countryside,” Ms, Roque said.

Hydropower facilities generate electricity from the natural flow of moving water. The types of such projects active in the Philippines are impounding hydro, run-of-river hydro, and pumped storage hydro, which qualify for subsidized rates under the government's feed-in tariff (FIT) program.

Launched in 2011, FIT offers fixed payments per kilowatt hour to developers. This is also a uniform charge billed to all on-grid electricity consumers to support the development and promotion of renewable energy.