Napocor resumes Angat power plant operations

State-run National Power Corp. (Napocor) on Wednesday resumed the operations of Angat Hydroelectric Power Plant after a maintenance shutdown on Tuesday. In a statement, Napocor said the repairs at the dam site that supplies water to the power plant were concluded at 6 a.m. on Sept. 29. “After the repairs have been accomplished, we undertook the watering of the penstock, which means that we have to gradually let the water flow out. This is to preserve the structural integrity of the penstock. By 8 a.m. [on Wednesday], all operations [were] back to normal," Napocor said. Napocor was forced to shut down the 218-megawatt Angat Hydroelectric Power Plant in Bulacan to repair its bypass valve to the water dam. The repairs were needed to maintain the integrity of the control level of water in the reservoir, according to Napocor. If repairs at the Angat Dam did not take place, there could be some over-releases to the Ipo Dam that could have significant impact on Metro Manila’s water supply in the near term, said Napocor. “It was our commitment to finish the repairs within the 48-hour period that we have set and agreed with the Manila Water Sewerage System, Maynilad, Manila Water, and the Common Purpose Facility," Napocor added. —JE/VS, GMANews.TV