DAGUPAN CITY—The provinces of Pangasinan and Ilocos Norte will host 16 wind energy farms that can generate at least 800 megawatts of electricity, according to a Department of Energy (DOE) official.
Efren Balaoing, director of the DOE’s Luzon field office, said 13 wind farms would be built in the towns of Pasuquin, Burgos, Pagudpud and Bangui in Ilocos Norte, while the towns of Labrador, Mabini and Infanta in Pangasinan would host three wind farms.
He said three of the wind power projects in Ilocos Norte were among those scheduled to be commissioned this year.
These are the 87-MW Burgos Wind Power Project Phase 1 of EDC Burgos Wind Power Corp. in Burgos, the 81-MW Caparispisan Wind Power Project of North Luzon Renewable Energy Corp. in Pagudpud and the 18-MW Bangui Bay Wind Power Project Phase 3 of NorthWind Power Development Corp. in Bangui.
“Those in Pangasinan are now in their predevelopment stage. The government has given them two years to conduct feasibility studies,” Balaoing said.
The wind projects in the three Pangasinan towns would be built by Pangasinan UPC Asia Corp.
“Our [energy demand] projection, between now and 2030, [is that] we would need at least 8,100 MW in the Luzon grid, 1,700 MW in the Visayas and 1,600 MW in Mindanao,” Balaoing said, adding that the wind farms would help meet those targets.
He said the wind farms in the Ilocos region were among 348 renewable energy projects that, when completed, would generate at least 7,100 MW of electricity.
He said renewable energy projects were being put up in Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon regions.
A 9.9-MW biomass project in San Jose City in Nueva Ecija province is scheduled to be operational this year, he said. “Two other biomass projects are being constructed in Isabela province, one of which is scheduled to be commissioned this year,” he said. Gabriel Cardinoza,
Inquirer Northern Luzon