The Upper Wawa Pumping Station, a key facility in the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project, has been successfully energized and is now operating under retail electricity supply. This marks a significant step in Prime Infra’s commitment to sustainable infrastructure as the station prepares to supply 518 million liters of raw water per day (MLD) to Metro Manila.
WawaJVCo, the joint venture behind the project, connected the pumping station to the Meralco grid on March 31. The facility has now completed its transition from captive to contestable market operations, entering into a retail supply contract with PrimeRES Energy Corporation, a subsidiary of Primelectric Holdings Inc.
Located in Antipolo City, the Upper Wawa Pumping Station features a 65-meter deep shaft and a 1-kilometer tunnel with a conveyance pipeline. The station is designed to move water from the Upper Wawa Dam to Manila Water’s treatment plant. Once fully operational, the Wawa Bulk Water Supply Project is expected to deliver up to 710 MLD, benefiting over 700,000 households, or approximately 3.5 million Filipinos.
Melvin John Tan, Market Sector Lead for Water at Prime Infra and President of WawaJVCo, highlighted the dual significance of the energization milestone. “The energization of the Upper Wawa Pumping Station is an important step for the bulk water project towards securing a reliable water supply in the long term,” Tan said. “Our switch to retail electricity supply also enables us to adopt cost-efficient power solutions and fulfill our commitment to sustainable solutions, as the pumping station will be fully powered by clean and renewable energy sources.”
The switch to the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) framework aligns with Prime Infra’s broader strategy to optimize operating costs and reduce carbon emissions by sourcing renewable energy.
The energization and the transition to the retail electricity market were completed with the support of Prime Metro BMD Corporation (PrimeBMD) and the local government of Antipolo City.
Performance Acceptance Tests for the pumping station are scheduled to begin in June. These tests will simulate a range of operating conditions to ensure the facility can meet its daily water delivery target.
