Philippines Hands Over Strategic Hydropower Complex to Private Consortium - CleanTechnica

The Philippine government has officially transferred operations of the Caliraya–Botocan–Kalayaan (CBK) Hydroelectric Power Plant complex in Laguna to the Thunder Consortium, led by Aboitiz Power Corp. This marks a significant privatization in the country’s power sector, with the consortium winning the asset through a P36.27-billion bid under the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) program. The CBK complex, with an installed capacity of about 797 megawatts, is one of the largest and most strategically important hydropower assets in the Philippines due to its pumped-storage facilities. These facilities provide critical grid-scale energy storage, enabling the grid to manage demand peaks, maintain reserves, and integrate variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind without compromising reliability. The CBK complex comprises four plants: the Caliraya Hydroelectric Power Plant (39.37 MW), Botocan plant (22.91 MW), and the Kal