The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), through the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), has scheduled a public scoping activity for the proposed 97-megawatt (MW) Magat pumped-storage hydro (PSH) project worth P13.5 billion in the provinces of Isabela and Ifugao.
According to a notice posted on the EMB website, the public scoping will be held on June 3 and 4, 2026. The activity will allow project developer SN-Aboitiz Power-Magat Inc. (SNAP-MI) to present the project to local communities and gather public feedback, concerns, and other relevant information before the project moves forward.
SNAP-MI is a subsidiary of SN-Aboitiz Power (SNAP), a joint venture between Aboitiz Power and Norwegian renewable energy company SCATEC ASA.
Project documents showed that the proposed pumped-storage hydro facility will cost around P13.5 billion, covering construction works, electro-mechanical systems, transmission facilities, environmental protection measures, and contingency expenses projected up to 2028.
The project will be built within the existing operational area of the 380-MW Magat hydroelectric power plant and is not expected to require additional land beyond the current 3.6-hectare footprint.
The company clarified that the existing Magat hydroelectric plant will continue to operate independently and that its 380-MW capacity will not be combined with the new 97-MW pumped-storage facility.
If approved, construction is expected to take about 44 months. The project is also expected to extend the operating life of the Magat hydroelectric plant to 50 years following planned refurbishments.
The proposed PSH facility is seen as a major energy storage project that can help improve grid stability in Luzon. It will store excess electricity during periods of low demand and release power during peak hours or emergencies, helping support the country’s growing renewable energy sector.
Project documents noted that the Magat Dam already plays a key role in irrigating around 85,000 hectares of farmland in Isabela and nearby provinces while also supplying renewable energy to the Luzon grid.
The planned expansion forms part of SNAP’s broader energy growth strategy. Earlier this year, the company said it expects its total power generation capacity to reach 729 MW by the end of 2026 from the current 673 MW through the completion of new battery energy storage system (BESS) projects.
The additional 56 MW capacity will come from the 16-MW Magat BESS 2 project in Isabela and the 40-MW Binga BESS 1 project in Benguet.
SNAP also operates the 112.5-MW Ambuklao hydroelectric plant, the 140-MW Binga hydroelectric plant in Benguet, and the 8.5-MW Maris hydro project in Isabela.
