‘Wind farm development won’t impact karst areas in Rizal’

MANILA, Philippines — The developer behind the planned massive wind farm in Rizal has reiterated that the project fully complies with environmental standards and will not affect any karst areas.

Vena Energy, proponent of a 603-megawatt wind project, said it would not build wind turbines in areas with karst features, or fragile limestone formations highly sensitive to human activity or development.

“Vena Energy strictly adheres to all government regulations and environmental standards,” the Singapore-based company said in a statement to The STAR.

It added that all required permits and clearances, including the go-signal from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the consent from indigenous communities, have also been secured.

The statement was issued in response to a letter from the Antipolo City government calling on the DENR and Vena Energy to reconsider the proposed wind turbine installation.

“It has come to our attention that some of the proposed turbine locations may be situated in areas identified as having karst characteristics,” Antipolo Mayor Casimiro Ynares III stated in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by The STAR.

“These areas are generally recognized as environmentally sensitive and require careful consideration due to their natural features and conditions,” he said.

Ynares emphasized that the province’s natural landscapes such as forests, watersheds and unique rock formations play a vital role in mitigating flooding, preventing landslides and addressing water shortages.

Given this, the mayor has urged the concerned parties to consider alternative sites or adopt appropriate measures to ensure the project proceeds in an “environmentally sound” manner.

Environment Secretary Raphael Lotilla has yet to respond to The STAR’s request for comment.

Earlier, the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. called for a cease-and-desist order and the revocation of the environmental compliance certificate issued to Vena Energy’s wind project.

The group warned that the project would encroach on multiple “strict protection zones,” including the 1,600-hectare Masungi Karst Conservation Area.

However, the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) denied MGF’s request, stating that its investigation found no clear violations.

“No sufficient basis has been established to conclude the existence of grave or irreparable environmental damage that would necessitate the issuance of a CDO,” EMB regional director Robert Angelo Metin said.

MGF then filed a motion for reconsideration challenging the EMB ruling.

MGF advocacy director Billie Dumaliang stressed that the country’s energy transition must not come at the expense of “irreplaceable landscapes.”