Mindanao has 157 proposed renewable energy projects

Sunstar Davao
By Reuel John F. Lumawag
Friday, September 5, 2014

A TOTAL of 157 renewable energy (RE) projects, with an accumulated potential capacity of 1,699.57 megawatts (MW), in Mindanao are still pending for approval by different government agencies.

"As far as the Department of Energy (DOE) is concerned, most of these (157 RE projects) have already been awarded with service contracts," said Romeo M. Montenegro, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) director of investment promotions and public affairs, during the Mindanao Power Stakeholders Dialogue at the Marco Polo Hotel Davao yesterday.

However, these RE projects are still up for approval by concerned government agencies like the National Water Resources Board (NWRB), National Commission in Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture (DA), and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

"Probably because the proponent still lacks some of the needed requirements or [no] action [has been done on the processing of their documents by] certain bureaus or agencies," he said.

Hydropower projects comprise the bulk of pending projects numbering a total of 115 out of 157, with a potential capacity of 1,129.82 MW. Coming in second are the solar energy, with 27 and a potential capacity of 277.5 MW, followed by geothermal energy with eight and a potential capacity of 200 MW, and biomass energy with seven and potential capacity of 92.25 MW.

Most of the projects are in Northern Mindanao with 49 projects (398.87 MW). It is followed by Davao Region with 34 (419.25 MW), Soccsksargen with 32 (431.90 MW), Caraga with 23 (272.05 MW), Zamboanga Peninsula with 15 (125.20 MW), and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) with four (52.30 MW).

The Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) seeks to hasten the processing of the applications of these RE project with their One-stop Processing and Facilitation Center, which is also in partnership with the Department of Energy.

Montenegro said by fast tracking the applications of these pending RE projects will allow the fast delivery and operations of these projects to ensure the Mindanao grid will have reliable power supply.

He also said this will also balance out the power supply mix of Mindanao in the coming years. It is expected that by 2016 the power mix will be dominated by non-renewable energy like coal and oil power plants.

Once all the pending RE projects - the construction and commercial operations - it is expected that the power mix will be a balance between RE and non-renewable power sources. source