DOE exec: Invest in clean power projects
THE Energy Department is encouraging private companies to invest in renewable or clean energy projects especially in the Visayas.
There are opportunities for clean power projects with expected economic growth in the region which will need more power, said Energy Undersecretary Raul Aguilos during yesterday’s Visayas Energy Investment Forum.
He also assured that there is enough supply of power in the Visayas for the next five years.
“Our power supply is good enough. The power capacity will still be able to meet the demand. As far as supply is concerned, we have no fear of any power outages for the next five years,” Aguilos added.
He said there are four committed clean energy projects scheduled to be completed in the next three years.
These are two biomass power projects, a hydroelectric power project and a geothermal power project.
Article continues after this advertisementOne of these projects is the Asian Energy Systems Corp.’s 3.6 MW biomass project in Cebu which will be commissioned in the last quarter of 2014.
Article continues after this advertisementAnother is the 50 MW Nasulo Geothermal Project in Nasuji, Valencia, Negros Oriental which is scheduled to be completed on June 2014.
hydro power
The hydroelectric project in Antique and a biomass project in Negros Occidental will be completed in 2015.
The four clean energy projects will add another 77.6 MW of power in the Visayas region.
coal-fired plants
Despite their push toward clean energy, Aguilos, however, said that they still could not disregard coal as most of the power plants in the Visayas area are run and fueled by coal.
Aguilos cited two more committed coal-fired power plants which will also add 352 MW of power in the next three years.
These are the 82 MW coal-fired power plant in Toledo City, Cebu which is scheduled to be completed in Sept. 2014 and the two 135 MW coal-fired power plants in Concepcion, Iloilo, which is scheduled to be commissioned in 2016.
Aguilos said the six committed power projects will add 429.6 MW in the Visayas in the next three years./Correspondent Joy Cherry Quito
