Renewable energy tops committed power projects in Visayas

BACOLOD CITY – Majority of the 25 committed power projects in the Visayas, with a total potential capacity of 1,982 megawatts, are generating renewable energy (RE).

Among the committed projects, which are targeted to operate starting 2024 and 2025, solar has the highest rated capacity at 38.37 percent; followed by wind, 26.01 percent; and battery energy storage system (BESS), 15.64 percent, according to Department of Energy (DOE) data.

‘Committed projects are those that are already in the construction phase or have a financial close in place as of June 2024,’ Jephraim Manansala, chief data scientist of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC), said during his presentation here at the two-day media training on the Philippines’ energy transition that ended Saturday.

The rest of the RE projects comprise geothermal, hydro and biomass, while the other projects include oil and coal.

The listed solar power projects include Solar Philippines Visayas Corp., 300 megawatts (MW) in Kananga town and Or
moc City, Leyte; San Isidro Solar Power Corp., 226.84 MW, San Isidro Leyte; and PetroGreen Energy Corp., 20.62 MW, Dagohoy, Bohol.

Under the geothermal type are Energy Development Corp. (EDC), 28MW, Ormoc City, Leyte; Biliran Geothermal Inc., 6 MW in Biliran town and 2 MW in Caibiran town, both in Biliran province; and EDC, 5.65 MW, Bago City, Negros Occidental.

Hydro plants are being developed by Iraya ventures Inc., 14.16 MW in Taft, Eastern Visayas; Century Peak Energy Corp., 8.10 MW, Igbaras, Iloilo; and Leyte Electric Cooperative V, 2 MW, Kananga, Leyte; while a wind project of PetroWind Energy Inc., 13.56 MW, is underway in Nabas and Malay, Aklan.

Biomass projects include Central Azucarera de San Antonio, 8 MW, in Passi City, Iloilo; and HDJ Bayawan Agri-Venture Corp., 6 MW, Bayawan City, Negros Oriental.

The EDC is developing two BESS projects of 30 MW each in Kananga, Leyte and Valencia, Negros Oriental; while San Miguel Global Power BESS Power has a 20 MW project in Tabango, Leyte.

Other RE proj
ects in the list are Citicore’s 70-MW solar energy and 152-MW wind energy projects and First Max Power International’s 150-MW wind energy project.

Meanwhile, there are 55 indicative power projects or those still in the planning stage in the Visayas, with a total potential capacity of 16,466 MW.

As of May 2024, there are 76 power plants located in the Visayas, with a total dependable capacity of 3,334 MW, of which renewable energy has a share of 49 percent.

Science research specialist II John Christian Porte of the RE Management Bureau-Technical Service Management Division said the RE Act of 2008 seeks to accelerate the exploration and development of RE resources in the country.

‘The law provides for fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to promote RE’s efficient and cost-effective commercial application and institutionalizes the development of national and local capabilities in the use of RE systems,’ he said.

Under the Philippine Energy Plan 2023-2050, the goal is to reach 35 percent share of RE in the power
generation mix by 2030, increase it further to 50 percent by 2040, and to more than 50 percent by 2050, with RE dominating the country’s power generation mix.

The media training was organized by the ICSC and the German main development agency Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH.

The Clean, Affordable and Secure Energy project sees the media playing a vital role in supporting the mission to shift the narrative surrounding the current energy landscape, the organizers said.

Source: Philippines News Agency