According to SNAP-Magat, the hydropower plant is now available for power generation as the National Irrigation Administration has recently started to release water for irrigation.
The power plant draws water from the multi-purpose Magat dam, which is prioritized for irrigation of agricultural lands in Cagayan Valley. The water used for irrigation is the same water used by the hydroelectric plant for power generation.
Magat plant has operated at reduced capacity since January and temporarily shut down in the middle of March when water elevation was no longer sufficient for the plant to generate power due to the dry spell caused by El Nino.
Meanwhile, SNAP hopes that the onset of the rainy season will allow steady increase of the water elevation at the Binga dam in Itogon. The Binga hydro power plant, owned and operated by SNAP-Benguet, has been available for power generation despite the dry spell but it has been constrained as well due to low water levels over the past months.
