The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), through its Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), has scheduled a public scoping on 29 April for the proposed P261.7-billion Maton pumped-storage hydropower project (PSHPP) in Pudtol, Apayao.
The public scoping process, as outlined in an EMB notice, allows project developer Pan Pacific Renewable Power Philippines Corp. to present the 2,000-megawatt (MW) project to the public, gather feedback, and identify environmental and social issues that need to be addressed in the environmental impact assessment.
With a storage capacity of 20,000 megawatt hours, the Maton PSHPP is designed to enhance power grid stability and support the integration of more variable renewable energy sources into the national grid. The plant will impound water from the Maton River, a tributary of the Apayao-Abulug River.
The Department of Energy (DOE) awarded the project a hydropower service contract in March 2022. It was later amended from a run-of-river design to a pumped-storage configuration, with final approval granted in December 2024.
The EMB urged stakeholders, organizations, and government agencies to participate in the public consultation process to ensure transparency and inclusivity.
Maton PSHPP is also planned to be integrated with Pan Pacific’s 150-MW Gened-1 hydropower project in the same area. The Maton project had the highest proposed capacity among energy projects undergoing system impact studies (SIS) with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) as of January, according to DOE data.
The SIS evaluates the impact of proposed power projects on the national grid, helping determine infrastructure needs such as additional transmission lines or substations.
As of end-2024, the Philippines had 3,867 MW of installed capacity from hydro sources—roughly 12.7% of the country’s 30,513 MW total on-grid power capacity.
