DOE okays 1st phase of Puerto Gallera proj

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a confirmation of commerciality (COC) to Philippine Hybrid Energy Systems Inc. (PHESI) for the first phase of a 16-megawatt (MW) wind project in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro.

The project will be developed in three phases with a total of 48 MW and a total project cost of P6 billion.

The COC is covered by Wind Energy Service Contract 2011-030-045, the first awarded under the Aquino administration.

The project comes as a welcome development in Oriental Mindoro where most plants work on diesel.

“This project will complement the predominantly diesel power supply in Oriental Mindoro, which is seeing exponential economic growth,” PHESI chief operating officer Nicanor Villasenor said.

PHESI, a unit of CMC (Asia Inc.) in partnership with Berkeley Energy, has started construction and progress is well underway, he said.

Based on the company’s timetable, the project would take 18 months to complete.

“The project is expected to be completed early 2015, 10 months ahead of the December 2015 previous target date,” Villasenor added.

PHESI’s COC is “the first granted to a wind project in the off grid area,” he pointed out.

It is also the first company to be granted a COC to a project located in the missionary area “not covered by the feed-in tariff.”

Villasenor said CMC ( Asia ), a leader and pioneer in the Philippines since 1979 in renewable energy, is  participating in the overall electrification program and development of other wind and mini-hydro projects not only in the province of Mindoro to address its growing energy needs but also in the Asian region.

The facility is situated in the mountain village of Baclayan, overlooking Puerto Galera’s resorts, over an area of 1,296 hectares.