Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) brought members of Philippine print and broadcast media to the 789-megawatt (MW) Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan Hydroelectric Power Plant (CBK HEPP) Complex in Laguna for its energy literacy platform Power 101.
The site visit marks the latest edition of the initiative, which has previously held sessions in Manila, Davao, and Cebu focusing on key industry topics such as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), and regional grid dynamics.
“This trip marks a unique milestone for this learning platform — it is our first time bringing Power 101 outdoors and directly onto an operational site,” said AboitizPower VP for Corporate Affairs Suiee Suarez in a statement.
“We chose the CBK Complex because it represents something truly remarkable: it contains the first and only operational pumped storage hydroelectric facility in the Philippines thus far.”
The CBK HEPP Complex is composed of three distinct facilities: the 37-MW Caliraya and 23-MW Botocan hydroelectric power plants and the 728.5-MW Kalayaan pumped storage power plant.
Pumped storage hydropower works by pumping water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir to store reserve energy, which is then released back to the lower reservoir during periods of peak electricity demand, triggering turbines to generate power.
The Department of Energy’s Hydropower & Ocean Energy Management Division Chief Engineer Ariel Fronda served as the event’s keynote speaker, discussing the strategic role of pumped storage hydropower in national energy security.
“As the share of variable renewable energy increases, the challenge is no longer confined to having sufficient generating capacity. We must also ensure that the power system can respond to change in demand, manage fluctuations in supply, maintain frequency and voltage within the required limits, and deliver electricity when renewable output declines,” he explained. “This is where energy storage becomes essential.”
Fronda said that pumped storage supports the integration of variable renewable energy by absorbing its excess power, as well as provides peaking capacity and helps meet periods of high demand, contributes to ancillary services and grid stability, and improves the operational efficiency and resilience of the power system.
“The value of pumped storage cannot be measured solely by the amount of electricity it generates. We must also consider the renewable energy it helps accommodate, the peak demand it can serve, the balancing requirements it can meet, and the reliability it can help preserve,” he said.
In February 2026, the CBK HEPP Complex was officially turned over by the Philippine government to the Thunder Consortium, which is composed of Aboitiz Renewables, Inc. and Japanese firms Sumitomo Corporation and Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (J-POWER).
“By opening our doors and connecting you directly with the engineers and operators on the ground, Power 101 aims to give you the technical context and insights needed to ground your coverage in clarity and accuracy,” Suarez said.
