First Gen Corp. said Tuesday a subsidiary signed with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources an agreement that would pave the way for the development of the 120-megawatt Aya pumped storage hydro facility in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, while preserving the protected area status of the project site.
The Special Use Agreement in Protected Areas agreement enables First Gen unit First Gen Hydro Power Corp. to use a 36-hectare portion of the 84,000-hectare Pantabangan-Carranglan Watershed Forest Reserve for the Aya pumped hydro project.
The agreement is valid for 25 years, subject to renewal for another 25 years.
“This is one of our most crucial permits. We are thrilled to be able to continue our work on the Aya Pumped-Storage project, and we are grateful for the support of our partners in DENR. We are also thankful to the LGUs and our stakeholders for their vote of confidence in us and for choosing us as their newest partner in protecting the watershed forest reserve,” First Gen senior vice president Dennis Gonzales said.
The DENR issues a SAPA to enable productive use of the country›s protected areas by providing access to economic opportunities to indigenous people, tenured migrant communities, protected migrant communities and other protected area stakeholders. Alena Mae S. Flores
