The Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Malay, Aklan re-endorsed the 13.2-megawatt Phase 2 wind project of PetroWind Energy Inc. (PWEI), paving the way for the construction of the remaining three wind turbine generators to complete the project.
This followed the findings from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 6 (DENR-6) of PWEI’s compliance with its various environmental permits.
PWEI said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange Monday the first three WTGs located on the Nabas side were completed and started testing and commissioning on April 4, supplying electricity to Panay Island.
It said work on the three remaining 3 WTGs on the Malay side had to be put on hold in August 2023 after the Malay SB revoked the project endorsement it issued in January 2021, even when PWEI’s contractors were already mobilized.
PWEI started site development of the project in March 2023 after securing a P1.8-billion loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines to partially fund the renewable energy project.
Several DENR units conducted site inspections and documents review of the project from August 2023 to January 2024 in response to the requests of Malay SB and Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of Aklan to monitor the Phase 2 project and its impact to the environment.
The DENR-6 and DENR – Environment Management Bureau (EMB-6) confirmed that PWEI’s Phase 2 substantially complied with all environmental rules and regulations.