Author(s): Elaine Marie Pena; Anne Jeanette De La Rosa; Maria Cristelle San Antonio; Roy Anthony Luna; Ramon Quebral
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Hydrologic hazards; HEC-RAS; Sediment transport; Debris flow; Risk assessment
Abstract: Geothermal fields are renowned potential source of sustainable energy. In countries frequently affected by natural hazards such as the Philippines, it becomes imperative that proactive hazard mitigation strategies be employed to ensure the stability and efficiency of the powerplants for an uninterrupted supply of energy despite adverse weather conditions. A tropical cyclone internationally known as Kai-Tak (local: Urduja) hit the Philippines on December 2017 which affected the Eastern Visayan Region. The calamity forced more than 750 families into evacuation centers and shelters, with a tragic toll of at least 83 lives lost. In the highlands, critical infrastructures such as geothermal powerplant facilities experienced significant damages which resulted to power outages as plant operations were greatly affected by major flooding and debris flow sweeping away multiple steam pipelines. This event prompted in the conduct of hydrologic and hydraulic studies for other geothermal power plants all over the Philippines to determine flooding scenarios, analyze risks to assets, and identify appropriate risk reduction measures to protect the facilities and/or control hydrologic hazards like flash floods, debris flow, and riverbank scouring. This study employs a multi-disciplinary approach by integrating hydrologichydraulic modelling techniques, as well as landslide inventories to identify vulnerable areas. The results provide foundation for the formulation of mitigating measures. Risk assessment was undertaken to facilitate the prioritization of mitigations based on their potential impact and aid decision-makers to efficiently allocate resources so that the most critical risks are addressed promptly.
Year: 2024