Published December 20, 2017, 10:00
PM By Myrna
M. Velasco
The power generation arm of Manila
Electric Company (Meralco) is keenly looking at two wind power projects that
could add up 300 megawatts (MW) capacity to its portfolio in the immediate
term.
In a lunch briefing with the media,
Meralco PowerGen President Rogelio L. Singson said these targeted projects are
sited in Ilocos Norte where most of the current wind farm developments are; and
one is along the Meralco franchise area in a province proximate to Metro
Manila.
“We’re talking to a number of
developers … one in the north where there’s a lot of existing wind generation
and one is closer to Manila, close to Meralco franchise area,” he said.
The prospect in Ilocos, he said, is
of 150 MW capacity; and the targeted investment close to Manila is of parallel
installation.
Singson has not been very specific
about the identity of the prospective partner in Ilocos; but for the venture
close to Manila, he just tipped off that he has a meeting with former Energy
Secretary and Alternergy Philippine Holdings Corporation President Vincent S.
Perez Jr. this Tuesday.
Perez, as widely known, is pursuing
the 72MW Sembrano wind farm project as an expansion of its 54MW Pililla wind
facility in Rizal province.
The Meralco PowerGen chief executive
opined that “when the coal tax kicks in, that (planned wind developments) would
even become more competitive.”
The Sembrano wind power project in
particular had been cast on blueprint on assumptions then that it could qualify
for any third round of feed-in-tariff (FIT) incentives.
But with the Department of Energy’s
(DOE) declaration on termination of the FIT regime, renewable energy project
sponsors would really need to explore alternative business models on their
forward investments.
As conveyed by Meralco PowerGen
Executive Vice President and General Manager Dan Neil, “we have been looking
for projects over the years, but Mr. (Oscar) Reyes (Meralco President) is
focused on the cost of energy for consumers.”
At this stage when RE technology
costs had already been on precipitous slides over the years, there is greater
probability now for the company to push for such kind of generation facilities.
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