The Yuchengco Group's PetroWind Energy Inc. (PWEI) is betting on wind power to end Panay Island’s persistent power woes.
This, as the PWEI is on the brink of commencing commercial operations for the second phase of its wind power initiative in Aklan province, having obtained the required approvals.
PWEI announced that the Independent Energy Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) has greenlit the registration of the 13.2-megawatt (MW) Nabas-2 wind power project with the Wholesale Energy Spot Market (WESM).
PWEI, a collaboration between PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC), its parent company PetroEnergy Resources Corp., and Thailand's BCPG Public Co. Ltd., spearheads this wind energy endeavor.
“This WESM registration approval authorizes Phase 2 as an additional facility of PWEI,” PGEC Assistant Vice President for power markets Dave Gadiano said.
“We are excited and look forward to the eventual commercial operation of Phase 2.”
WESM serves as the primary marketplace for trading electricity as a commodity, allowing power generators to sell surplus energy not covered by supply agreements and enabling power distributors to procure additional capacity to supplement their existing supply.
As the only wind facility within the Visayas grid, the first phase of the wind facility, boasting a capacity of 36 MW, commenced operations in 2015.
The Nabas-2 wind project stands as the sole wind facility in the Visayas grid to secure a 20-year contract to supply energy under the inaugural Green Energy Auction Program of the Department of Energy, conducted in June 2022.
Following successful testing of metering equipment at the facility by the Energy Regulatory Commission and subsequent testing by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) this month, the Nabas-2 wind power project was included in WESM.
Subsequently, NGCP issued the certificate of approval for the Nabas-2 wind power project to connect as a load facility.
“With this approval, PWEI can now energize the new and dedicated 16 MVA phase 2 substation with feedback power to start the internal technical tests of our Vestas wind turbines. Should all go well, grid compliance tests with power export to the grid will soon follow,” PGEC Vice President for Technical Operations Paul Elmer Morala said.
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