The Department of Energy issued clearance to six wind power projects of the Lopez Group’s Energy Development Corp. to conduct a system impact study.
The six projects have a combined capacity of 2,680 megawatts and comprised the bulk of the projects endorsed by the DOE to National Grid Corp. of the Philippines in December 2022 for the grid impact study.
Four of the proposed EDC wind projects are in the Visayas, while two are in north Luzon.
The Visayas projects include the 998-MW Iloilo-Guimaras offshore wind power project in offshore Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Guimaras and onshore Iloilo; the 100-MW Guimaras onshore wind power project in Buenavista, San Lorenzo, Sibunag and New Valencia, Guimaras; the 768 MW Guimaras-Negros Occidental offshore wind power project in onshore and offshore of Negros Occidental and offshore of Guimaras; and the 582-MW Guimaras 1 offshore wind power project in Guimaras.
The remaining projects are the 90-MW Pasuquin wind power project in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte; and the 144-MW Ilocos Norte wind power project in Burgos and Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte.
EDC is First Gen Corp.’s renewable energy subsidiary, with over 1,480 MW of installed capacity, accounting for 20 percent of the country’s total installed RE capacity.
Its 1,185.40-MW geothermal portfolio accounts for 62 percent of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity, making the Philippines the third largest geothermal producer in the world.
Meanwhile, the DOE also issued clearances to conduct grid impact study on Upgrade Energy Philippines Inc.’s 56.77 MW Cabangan solar project in Baragany Mabanglit, Cabangan, Zambales; Orion Pacific Prime Energy Inc.’s 1,200-MW Quezon combined-cycle power plant in Barangay Laurel, Tagkawayan, Quezon; 3 Barracuda Energy Corp.’s 650-MW Bugallon solar power project in Bugallon, Pangasinan; and Iloilo 1 Renewable Energy Corp.’s 54-MW wind project in Batad and San Dionisio in Iloilo province.
The DOE said it continued to receive strong interest in renewable energy development.
The National Renewable Energy Program 2020-2040 aims to bring the share of RE to at least 35 percent of the power generation mix by 2030.
