Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. is positioning integrated water and energy infrastructure as a way to tackle multiple Philippine needs with fewer, more coordinated investments, spotlighting its Wawa Bulk Water and Power Complex at the World Infrastructure Forum in Madrid, Spain.
Prime Infra President and CEO Guillaume Lucci presented the project to more than 400 infrastructure leaders from 44 countries, citing its potential to address Metro Manila’s water supply needs, reduce flood risks and strengthen power grid reliability.
The complex includes the Upper Wawa Dam, which is being developed to help meet the capital region’s rising water demand while reducing downstream flooding during heavy rain and typhoons.
The dam’s reservoir is also planned to serve as the lower reservoir for Prime Infra’s proposed 600-megawatt pumped storage hydroelectric facility, targeted for completion by 2030.
The project has been designated an Energy Project of National Significance and is expected to provide long-duration energy storage, helping stabilize the grid and accommodate more renewable power as variable sources such as solar and wind expand.
“It’s a perfect example of how, within the exact same ecosystem, we can deal with potable water, flood mitigation, grid stability, and energy resilience,” Lucci said.
Beyond the Wawa complex, Lucci highlighted Prime Infra’s gas-to-power portfolio, spanning indigenous natural gas production through Prime Energy, liquefied natural gas sourcing and transportation through Prime Midstream, and about 2,000 megawatts of gas-fired generation through Prime CoreGen.
Lucci said treating infrastructure as an interconnected system allows developers to coordinate investments and operations, capture synergies and extend benefits beyond individual projects to customers and the wider economy.
He also stressed the need for practical infrastructure solutions suited to emerging markets, where projects must account for local resources, regulations and operating conditions while meeting growing demand for reliable water and energy.
The Madrid forum brought together infrastructure leaders to discuss investment, innovation and approaches to developing resilient infrastructure across markets.
