State-run National Power Corporation (NPC) is eyeing to expand its cooperation with Korea Water Resources Corporation or K-Water, primarily on the sphere of dam safety – given that sizeable pie of the country’s power supply is still drawn from hydropower facilities.

The planned expanded collaboration had been the key point of discussion between NPC President Fernando Y. Roxas and K-Water Chief Executive Dr. Yun Seog-dae in the South Korean firm’s recent visit to the country.

As conveyed by the state-run power firm, “Dr. Yun expressed K-water’s interest in expanding technical cooperation with NPC in the dam safety field including the utilization of state-of-the-art technology for instrumentation.”

Several hydropower facilities in the country have integrated dam installations – and most of these have been existing for decades already since the start of their commercial operations.

NPC indicated that K-Water would be able to help in reinforcing safety at dam operations as it already gained track record in such aspect of water management in its home country.

It emphasized that the Korean firm already “played a pivotal role in Korea’s economic development and has shown over the years that the improvement of the quality of life and the systematic water management are linked together.”

Being a key investor in the Angat dam hydropower project, the two firms similarly fleshed out implementation plans for the official development assistance (ODA) intended for management of flooding incident that will be arising from the facility’s operations.

“NPC took the opportunity to discuss the importance of the ODA project for the Angat dam flood management and the previously requested collaboration and support from K-water for its implementation,” the power firm stressed.

The power component of the Angat hydro facility was privatized by state-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM) and that was won by the joint venture of K-Water and San Miguel Energy Corporation in a transaction that closed in 2015.

Upon takeover on the facility, the K-Water-San Miguel tandem pursued uprating and rehabilitation of the facility, so the efficiency of its power generation capacity could be improved.

Beyond that investment, K-Water is also exploring fresh investment prospects in the renewable energy (RE) sector of the Philippines, although it has not divulge yet the specific technologies it will be targeting for next wave of developments.