DOE sees higher interest in 2nd bid for wind power sites

The Department of Energy (DOE) is accelerating efforts to develop renewable energy sources and is expecting a slew of investors when it holds its second contracting round for 18 wind sites nationwide.

Energy Secretary Raphael M. Lotilla said the new wind sites to be offered will have a total capacity of megawatts 500 megawatts (MW).

The new wind sites are in Bani, Pangasinan (40 MW), Bolinao, Pangasinan (40 MW), Dinapigu, Isabela (10 MW), Cuyo Island, Palawan (30 MW), Tagaytay, Cavite (30 MW) Donsol-Jovellar, Sorsogon (70 MW), Donsol, Sorsogon (40 MW) Pilar, Sorsogon (40 MW), Matnog, Sorsogon (10 MW), Pandan, Catanduanes (30) MW, Dumangas, Iloilo (50 MW), Siquijor (10 MW), Carmen, Cebu (20 MW), Oslob, Cebu (30 MW), Allen-Lavezares, Northern Samar (10 MW) Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte (10 MW) and Gigaquit, Surigao Del Norte (30 MW).

The country’s first and only wind farm to date was developed by Northwind Power Development Corp., a 40-percent Danish, 60-percent Filipino partnership.

The 25-MW Northwind Bangui Bay Project is also a landmark development for the country since it became the first participant in the global carbon market. Another wind project in the pipeline is a 40 MW wind farm also in Northern Luzon

The project financing was provided by Danida, the Danish government aid organization that granted $11.2 million in capital to jumpstart the project and another $8 million in grants for its completion.

An export credit facility of $29.35 million was arranged under a loan agreement between Northwind Power, the Trade and Investment Development Corp. of the Philippines, ABN AMRO Bank NV and the Danish Export Agency.

Last year, the DOE launched 16 wind sites and the first contracting round was held last March of which five were already issued pre-commercial contract. Several companies have also expressed interest in the next 11 sites.