The Energy Department approved the grid impact study for the 14-megawatt expansion of the Nabas wind project in Aklan province.
PetroWind Energy Inc. formed a joint venture among PetroGreen Energy Corp. (40 percent), CapAsia Wind Holdings Cooperatief U.A. (40 percent) and EEI Power Corp. (20 percent) to develop and operate the Nabas wind project.
The first phase of the 36-MW wind farm was commissioned in June 2015.
The latest approval will pave the way for the conduct of a grid impact study for the proposed expansion phase.
“We’re looking at Nabas 2 expansion. The president has signed the amended Nipas Act [National Integrated Protected Areas System] which now allows, under certain conditions, to develop [power projects] inside certain protected areas,” PetroEnergy Resources Corp. vice president Francisco Delfin said.
“We have already started geotechnical studies for Nabas 2 to optimize the possible EPC cost,” Delfin said.
PetroSolar Corp., another subsidiary of parent firm PetroEnergy, also plans to expand the 50-MW Tarlac-1 Solar Power Project by another 20 MW.
“We are evaluating some EPC [engineering, procurement and construction] contractors. We have applied for BoI [Board of Investments] registration for Tarlac,” Delfin said.
The Tarlac-1 solar facility covers 55 hectares of industrial land within the Peza-registered Central Technopark in Tarlac City.
The project is the first solar plant of PetroSolar, a joint-venture firm which is 56 percent-owned by PetroGreen and 44 percent by EEI Power.
PetroGreen is the renewable energy holding company of publicly-listed PetroEnergy.
“The declaration of commerciality application shall be made soon [for the solar expansion],” Delfin said.