Feature: Southeast Asia’s first wind power plant is in Ilocos Norte
BANGUI, Ilocos Norte (13 February) -- While current world oil prices are virtually dictating global growth and decay, the Philippines has started showing its Southeast Asian neighbors the way to minimizing dependence from oil by tapping renewable energy resources.
Northern Philippines boasts to be the first in Southeast Asia that had given home to the wind power plant at the windswept town of Bangui in Ilocos Norte, the northwest tip of Luzon.
Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has identified more wind power plants to rise in Ilocos Norte under her Super Regions program.
Of the P56.8 billion budget allocated for North Luzon, more than P8 billion were set aside for the 46-megawatt Burgos wind farm in Burgos, Ilocos Norte that the Philippine National Oil Company will soon start implementing.
An additional P780 million were earmarked for the second phase of the Bangui Bay wind farm project under the Department of Energy.
The Northwind power plant was included in the Department of Energy’s medium term development plan for energy projects in line with the Philippine government’s national policy of pursuing the development of new and renewable energy projects.
Wind power is among the promising and cost-effective renewable technologies available today. Worldwide, more than 13,000 megawatts (mw) of wind power have been installed, according to an on-line website on wind power facts.
Developed by the Manila-based Northwind Power Development Corp. (NWPDC), the 25.5-megawatt wind power plant had started its commercial operation last year.
The state-run Philippine National Oil Company is developing a separate wind farm in nearby Burgos town to complement Northwind’s wind power plant.
The Northwind power plant was included in the Department of Energy’s medium term development plan for energy projects in line with the Philippine government’s national policy of pursuing the development of new and renewable energy projects.
“Interest in wind power is mounting as there is no showing that high oil prices will slip. In this oil-dependent generation where energy policies are being made to adapt to prevailing oil prices, the Philippine wind farm is our modest contribution in reducing our dependence from oil,” Ferdinand Dumlao, Northwind chairman, said.
Power generated from the wind power plant is fed to the National Power Corporation (now Transco) grid to complement Napocor’s power supply to the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative, a local electric utility.
Unlike PNOC, which can sell their generated power outside of Ilocos Norte, energy derived from Northwind will be fed exclusively to Inec.
Under an energy sales agreement between Northwind and Inec, the wind plant developer operates and maintains the facility and deliver at least 52,560-megawatt hour (equivalent to 7MW) to Inec every year for a period of 20 years.
The supplementary wind power is about a third of Ilocos Norte’s total power requirement of 26 (MW). A study had shown that Ilocos Norte’s total power needs is equivalent to the power requirement of SM Megamall. (PIA) [top]
