54 windmills to rise in Guimaras

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – The private investor of windmill project in Guimaras Island is eyeing to construct more units in the neighboring towns of Sibunag and Nueva Valencia to complete its 54 target units by next year after the 27 units constructed in San Lorenzo are now about to be finished next month.

Guimaras Governor Samuel Gumarin said the investor Trans-Asia Renewable Energy Corporation, through its contractor Sta. Clara Corp., will start the second phase project in Sibunag wherein 14 windmill units will be constructed.

Thirteen more windmills will be built in Nueva Valencia as soon as the 27 units in San Lorenzo will start operating in November 30.

Gumarin said each windmill can produce two megawatts of electricity or a total of 108 MW, which are sufficient enough to supply energy in the entire island.

The governor said the entire island is only using 13 MW from its power supplier, Trans-Asia Power Generation Corp. “This is already in preparation for the future development of the island since more investments like hotels, subdivisions, resorts and restaurants are already here,” he said.

Aside from this, Gumarin said these projects will soon to be a tourist destination next to the province’s other attractions, such as white sand beaches and sweet mangoes plantation.

Wind power plants use the wind to push against the wind turbine blades, spinning the generator to create electric power.

At present, the existing wind energy technology can be found at Bangui Bay in Ilocos Norte.