DOE lines up 17 solar power projects for FIT incentives

MANILA, Philippines – Seventeen solar power projects were endorsed to receive incentives in the second round for solar under the feed-in tariff (FIT) scheme.

These projects have a combined capacity of 417.05 megawatts (MW), latest data from the Department of Energy (DOE) showed.

“The DOE, through the Renewable Energy Management Bureau, has worked day and night to ensure that each eligible solar developer strictly followed the process and technical requirements,” DOE Secretary Zenaida Monsada said.

She added the DOE assures the best interest of the public and all renewable energy (RE) developers particularly in meeting the country’s commitment towards sustainable and cleaner energy.

After several validations and re-validations of around 800 MW solar power projects, these were the projects which met the DOE’s requirement of running and continuously dispatching the committed capacity to the grid for three straight days to qualify for FIT.

The first to get the Certificate of Eligibility-FIT was the 23-MW solar plant of San Carlos Power Inc. in Negros Occidental. The project is a joint power venture between SunEdison Philippines Helios BV and Aboitiz Renewables Inc., the holding company of AboitizPower’s renewable energy investments.

Three solar firms - the 6.23-MW Centrala solar power project of German-backed nv vogt Philippines Solar Energy One Inc. in South Cotabato, the 13.14-MW RASLAG Phase 2 in Pampanga, and the 2.66-MW Phase 2 of the EDC Burgos solar project in Ilocos Norte - received the COE-FIT in Feb. 12, 2016.

On March 7, the DOE signed the COE-FIT for the 50-MW Tarlac solar facility of PetroSolar Corp. and the 14.5-MW solar facility of local power developer YH Green Energy Corp. in Hermosa, Bataan.

The 10.26-MW Cabanatuan solar power project of First Cabanatuan Renewable Ventures Inc. in Nueva Ecija and the 63.3-MW solar farm of Solar Philippines Calatagan Corp. in Batangas clinched the COE-FIT on March 11.

Finally, the DOE signed the COE-FIT for nine solar power projects on June 3. These include the 20-MW Currimao solar power project of South Korean Mirae Asia Energy Corp. in Ilocos Norte; the 8.5-MW solar farm of Valenzuela Solar Energy Inc.; the 2.04-MW solar project of Abo slut Distillers Inc. in Lian, Batangas; the 18-MW Bais solar power project of Monte Solar Energy Inc. in Negros Oriental; the 22.33-MW Clark solar power project of Enfinity Philippines Renewable Resources Inc. in Pampanga; the 10.5-MW Kibawe solar farm of Asian Greenergy Corp. in Bukidnon; the 5.02-MW Palauig solar power project of Solar Powered Agri-Rural Communities Corp. in Zambales; the 15-MW solar power plant of Bulacan Solar Energy Corp.; and the 132.5 MW solar farm of Helios Solar Energy Corp. in Cadiz City, Negros Oriental, which is the biggest solar plant running in the country to-date.

FIT is a set of incentives given to power developers to invest in the more expensive RE sector.

In the second round, solar developers that will be completing and producing power from their projects before the March 15 deadline or until the 500-MW installation target is breached will be eligible to receive the new P8.69 per kilowatt-hour FIT rate, among other incentives.

Including the solar projects in the first round of FIT for solar, a total 525.95 MW in capacity were given COE-FIT by the DOE, exceeding the FIT allocation of 500 MW set by government.