Energy Development Corp. said Wednesday it is exploring new sites for wind power projects in the Visayas and Ilocos Norte, home to its existing 150-megawatt wind facility.
“We continue to look at more possible sites in Ilocos Norte and also in the Visayas, but these are still in pre-development phases,” EDC chief finance officer Nestor Vasay said.
Vasay said EDC was looking at 2017-2018 timeframe, for a more aggressive program that would depend largely on new feed-in tariff rates.
EDC earlier received a clearance from the Energy Department to conduct a grid impact study on its planned wind projects with potential capacity of 656.7 megawatts.
EDC currently owns the country’s largest wind farm, the 150-MW Burgos wind power project.
The Energy Department allowed EDC to conduct the grid impact study on three wind power projects in Sorsogon, including Matnog 1 (29.7 MW), Matnog 2 (85.8 MW) and Matnog 3 (59.4 MW).
It also approved EDC’s conduct of the grid impact study for the 66-MW Iloilo wind project in Batad and San Dionisio and 69.3-MW Iloilo 2 wind project in Concepcion.
EDC also received the go signal to conduct the study on the impact of its planned 138.6-MW wind project in Negros Occidental.
The department approved the grid impact study for the 36.3-MW Burgos 1 and 72.6-MW Burgos 2 wind projects in Ilocos Norte.
The agency also approved EDC Pagudpud Wind Corp.’s 99-MW wind project also in Ilocos Norte.
EDC officials earlier said the company planned to build a wind portfolio of up to 700 MW over the long term.
EDC, an affiliate of the Lopez Group’s First Gen Corp. is the country’s largest geothermal producer. It has expanded its renewable energy footprint to include solar and wind projects.