MANILA, Philippines - Green Power Panay Philippines Inc. and Green Power Nueva Ecija Philippines Inc., subsidiaries of Global Green Power PLC Corp. (GGPC), have signed engineering procurement and construction contracts with Poyry Energy Inc. and DP CleanTech for two 17.5-megawatt biomass power plants in Mina, Iloilo on Panay Island and Nueva Ecija in Luzon.
Green Power Bukidnon Philippines Inc., another GGPC subsidiary, also signed a letter of intent for a further 35-megawatt plant in Bukidnon.
The signing of the agreements between British invested Philippine company GGPC, Poyry Energy Inc, of Finland and DP-CleanTech of China was witnessed by the British, Chinese and Finnish ambassadors to the Philippines along with Social Welfare and Development Secretary Celia Yangco, Energy Undersecretary Ramon Santos, Energy Undersecretary Mary Rose Magsaysay-Crisostomo, PEZA Director General Lilia de Lima, Marriz Agbon, president of the Philippine Agricultural Development Corp., and other government and industry dignitaries.
The signing ceremony, which will pave the way for the construction of the plants, was held at British Ambassador Stephen Lillie’s Residence in Forbes Park.
“A number of British firms are now involved in delivering various environmental solutions in the Philippines. The global market for low carbon and environmental goods and services is already worth more than P230 trillion (£3 trillion), and is set to grow,” Lillie said.
“Countries and businesses that get ahead in the game will stand to benefit. British firms see huge potential for partnership with the Philippines in the environmental goods and services sector because of the significant steps the country has taken towards low carbon growth,” he added.
The biomass power plants will provide grid connected, sustainable, decentralized, clean, base-load renewable energy, utilizing abundant local agricultural waste as an indigenous fuel whilst delivering significant additional income and employment to the agricultural sector within the Philippines.
The GGPC subsidiary companies have secured long-term 25-year biomass supply contracts through sister company Global Biomass PLC Corp. The projects have been fast tracked at the request of the DOE to help alleviate the severe power shortages within their respective regions.
The biomass power plants are to be built to strict environmental standards, in accordance with the latest World Bank and International Finance Corporation recommendations.