| Largest wind farm in SE Asia inaugurated |
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MANILA, June 20 (PNA) - The country moves a step closer to achieving energy independence with the inauguration last Saturday of the 24,75-megawatt (MW) wind power project in Bangui Bay, Bangui, Ilocos Norte province. Harnessing the strong winds coming from the north-northeast of the country, the wind farm is the largest wind power project in Southeast Asia, comprising 15 towers with an installed capacity of 1.65-MW wind turbine generator per tower. Department of Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla congratulated North Wind Power Development Corp. for undertaking this landmark project that supports the government's drive towards energy self sufficiency. “'This project shows the government's persistence at tapping indigenous and renewable energy sources as a strategy to move away from dependence on imported oil, especially at a time of high oil prices," Lotilla said. "We need a relentless effort to harness our own energy sources and not be forever held hostage by volatile international oil prices.”' he added. The energy independence agenda aims to achieve 60-percent energy self-sufficiency by 2010 by increasing exploration of indigenous oil and gas, aggressively developing renewable energy potential such as biomass, solar, wind and ocean resources, increasing the use of alternative fuels, forming strategic alliances with other countries and strengthening and enhancing energy efficiency and conservation programs. The wind farm will provide reliable and sufficient power supply to the customers of Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC). As the site of the largest wind farm, Lotilla added, that the project is expected to bring a windfall on the province's local tourism industry. Ilocos Norte is host to beautiful and pristine beach resorts in the country. Lotilla also said the DoE is set to conduct a second wind contracting round within the year. New wind sites will be offered for development —10 wind sites in Luzon, seven in the Visayas and one in Mindanao. "As an archipelago, the country is endowed with strong wind potential. This was proven and confirmed by various studies conducted. I hope that the start of the commercial operations of Bangui wind farm will usher in new developments of our wind resources," he said. He noted that several financing assistance windows are available to investors willing to undertake wind power projects. The Development Bank of the Philippines has financing packages under its Wind Energy Financing Program, RE Project Preparation Revolving Fund, Rural Power Project for Type A Beneficiaries, Rural Power Project for Type B Beneficiaries and CDM Initiatives. The United Nations Development Programme-Global Environment Facility (UNDP-GEF) also offers assistance in project preparation and in securing loan guarantee for the project. Philippine Export-Import Credit Agency (PhilExim), for its part, provides loan guarantees to selected wind power projects such as the Bangui Bay wind farm. The DoE early this year launched the First Philippine Wind Power Contracting Round that offered 16 wind sites. Lotilla also announced that the three companies earlier awarded pre-commercial contract (PCC) to harness the country's wind energy are now conducting actual wind assessment under their respective work programs. Philippine Hybrid Energy Systems, Inc. was awarded three PCCs for wind projects in Marinduque; Baleno, Masbate; and Tablas, Romblon with a combined 30MW of capacity. Trans-Asia Renewable Energy Corporation was also awarded a contract for a potential 30-MW wind project in Sual, Pangasinan and San Carlos Wind Power Corp. in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental for a 25MW wind farm. Companies that bid for the 11 other sites are now in the process of securing PCC at the DoE, Lotilla said. (PNA) /JMC http://www.gov.ph/news/?i=10432 |