Napocor, Belgian firm mull tieup for solar power project

MANILA, Philippines - State-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) and Belgian power firm Enfinity are planning to enter into an agreement to put up 10 megawatts of solar power capacity in Romblon, Palawan and Quezon.

Napocor president Froilan Tampinco said the agreement would be part of the company’s efforts to provide power to its Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG).

“They are looking at a minimum of 10 MW but they could go as high as 20 MW to make economies of scale,” Tampinco said.

He said Enfinity was also advised to keep its projects at smaller capacities.

“We told them to start small because what if they can’t get that demand for one site. But they are very aggressive,” Tampinco said.

Napocor is mandated under the Electric Power Industry Act (EPIRA) to ensure power supply in SPUG areas.

The state-run power firm has been talking with various renewable energy companies for its SPUG projects. Aside from Enfinity, Napocor also had discussions with US-based Clenergen and Enertine for the possible development of biomass projects in the off-grid areas.

Enfinity, for its part, is aggressively expanding its presence in the Philippines.

It reported that it plans to put up a 50-MW to 100-MW solar power facilities at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.

Earlier reports said Enfinity is eyeing the Philippines as one of its investment havens. The company, in fact, said it is willing to pour in as much as $1 billion for renewable energy projects in the Philippines.

“The Philippines is one of the most important promoters of renewable energy in the Asian region. The government passed the Renewable Energy Act which is paving the way for the quick development of alternative energy sources. Enfinity sees much opportunities in solar energy which could either be rooftop or land-based installation,” Gino Van Neer, Enfinity co-founder and Enfinity Asia Pacific CEO earlier said.

The Belgium-based renewable energy developer is aiming to develop some 500 MW capacity from solar and wind projects with prospective local partners.

Enfinity is one of Europe’s largest power producers and one of the world’s top 10 players with $1.5 billion owned and operated power projects. Aside from Asia and Europe, Enfinity is also expanding its presence in North America. It also has a portfolio of ongoing solar and wind projects in 14 countries including China and India.