Baguio century-old Asin hydropower plants remain idle amid legal delays

The Asin Hydropower Plants in Baguio City, Philippines, remain offline 12 years after operations ceased, as legal disputes and administrative hurdles continue to stall the rehabilitation of the century-old facility. The 3.2-megawatt system, which was the first city-owned hydroelectric power source in the country, has not produced electricity since 2012. Decade of legal and technical delays The facility consists of three plants located in the neighboring town of Tuba, Benguet. Operations were suspended in 2012 following the expiration of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and the Water Rights permit. Since then, the Baguio City government has faced a series of setbacks in its attempts to find a private partner for the system’s restoration. A major factor in the continued silence of the turbines is a protracted legal battle with a former prospective developer. The city government previously awarded a contract to Kaltimex Energy Philippines for the plant's rehabilitation, but the partnership collapsed, leading to litigation that lasted several years. While the city eventually regained control of the site, the infrastructure has significantly deteriorated during the…