By Bong D. Fabe / Correspondent - February
17, 2016
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—Aboitiz Power
Corp.’s (AP) 59-megawatt peak (MWp) P3.59-billion solar-energy project (solar
farm) is on track to begin commercial operation before the cutoff date set by
the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for solar-energy projects.
The ERC set March 15,
2016, as the deadline for developers of all solar-power projects to go
online to be able to avail themselves of the prescribed second wave of
feed-in-tariff (FiT) rate of P8.69 per kilo watt-hour (kWh). Failure to go on
commercial operation by this date means the solar-power developer will get a
lower FiT incentive.
The FiT, through fixed price rates
for the generated electricity, guarantees revenue for the solar farm for a
period of 20 years.
AP is confident its 75-hectare
solar-farm project under San Carlos Sun Energy Inc. will begin commercial
operation before the ERC deadline. Once online, it will bring the total power
production of AP to 3,100 MW, 40 percent of which are from renewable sources.
AP is, at present, the biggest
producer of clean and renewable energy from its Cleanergy brand, which includes
several hydroelectric and geothermal power plants.
AP is, already, operating more
than 50 MW of hydropower plants in Mindanao through its subsidiary Hedcor Inc.
Hedcor’s 68.8-MW run-of-river hydropower plants in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, is
set to go online in 2017. The company is planning to develop another four to
five hydropower plants in addition to its 22 hydropower plants already online
in Benguet, Davao City, Davao del Sur, Ilocos Sur and Mountain Province to meet
its target of 2-billion kWh annual power generation by 2020.
AP is also tapping geothermal energy
sources and is set to start exploration and development of geothermal power
plants in Mount Apo and Mount Sibulan, which already received unequivocal
support from indigenous peoples’ communities and local government units in the
areas.
Its first foray into solar energy is
being undertaken through the San Carlos Energy Inc., a joint venture of AP and
the US-based SunEdison, the world’s largest renewable-energy development
company.
The 59-MW solar-energy project is
the first of a series of utility-scale solar-power projects that the joint
venture is pursuing after the two companies signed in 2014 the joint framework
agreement to explore, develop, construct and operate up to 300 MW of solar
farms in the country over the next three years.
Once it begins commercial operation
by next month, the San Carlos solar farm will be among the biggest solar-power
sources in the country.
The project is in support of
the government’s call to maximize the renewable-energy potential of the
country, said AP President and COO Antonio Moraza.
Moraza said the San Carlos
solar-farm project is a testament to AP’s commitment of ensuring
a balanced mix of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources in order to
provide a reliable and ample power supply at a reasonable and competitive price
with the least possible adverse effects on the environment and host communities.
No comments:
Post a Comment