By ANNA
LEAH E. GONZALES on
The Board of
Investments (BOI) recently approved nine renewable energy (RE) projects worth
P26.7 billion.
In a statement, the BOI
said the projects qualified for incentives under Republic Act No. 9513–the
Renewable Energy Act of 2008–which is covered under the Special Laws List of
the 2017 Investment Priorities Plan (IPP).
“The production of
renewable power is becoming cheaper and it is fast becoming a better
alternative toward addressing power sufficiency and cost-effectiveness in the
economic development of our country,” Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing
Head Ceferino Rodolfo said.
“In other parts of the
world, renewables like solar [energy]are already cheaper than fossil fuel-based
power, and these countries are already transitioning to 100-percent renewable
electricity. Sooner or later, we have to face this inevitability, with the
expectation it will bring down power costs while ensuring enough power supply
for the country,” he added.
One of the approved
projects is Alsons Energy Development Corp.’s P3.5-billion, 15.1-megawatt (MW)
Siguil hydropower plant, which it is setting up in Sarangani province.
The project is a
run-of-river type of hydro project in Amsipit and Nomoh villages in Sarangani’s
Maasim town. It aims to capture the flow of the Siguil River from Nomoh to
Amsipit through a power station equipped with a turbine and generator. The
water will be returned to the river and discharged to Sarangani Bay.
Formal operations are
expected to start in August 2020.
Another is Ecopark
Energy of Valenzuela Corp.’s P234.5-million, 4.7 MW solar project in Valenzuela
City. The company is developing the grid-connected PV power-generation plant on
an approximately 4.8-hectare lot in the city’s Barangay Isla.
It will be connected to
the grid through the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), with power to be sold to
the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM). It is expected to start
commercial operations in April.
For its part, Repower
Energy Development Corp. is constructing the P1.55-billion, 6.2 MW Katipunan
River mini-hydropower plant in Bukidnon province.
The power firm will
also put up two additional hydropower plants–the P 1.1 billion, 4.4 MW Tibag
River hydroelectric power plant in Quezon province; and the P2.1-billion, 10 MW
Pulangui IV facility, also in Bukidnon.
All three plants will start commercial operations in April 2019.
All three plants will start commercial operations in April 2019.
Other approved RE
projects are Ormoc Solar Energy Corp.’s P6.6-billion, 100.8 MW Naic Solar Power
Plant, to be built on a 120-hectare lot between Naic and Tanza towns and Trece
Martires City in Cavite province; and a P8.25-billion, 126 MW solar facility in
Pagbilao municipality, Quezon province.
Operations for the
former are set to start in January 2019; the latter, in July 2019.
Completing the list are
Nuevo Solar Energy Corp.’s P1.7-billion, 40.3 MW Lumban Solar Power project,
which shall also be connected to Meralco and is expected to be completed in
April 2019; and the P1.7-billion, 25.2 MW Bangyas solar plant in Calauan town,
Laguna, province, which is on track to start in July 2019.
According to the
Department of Energy’s (DOE) Renewable Energy Roadmap 2017-2040, the country
expects to have at least 20,000 MW of RE installed by 2040.
The National Renewable
Energy Program (NREP), through the implementation of the RE Act, promotes the development
and optimal use of the country’s RE resources as essential to the country’s
sustainable energy agenda.
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