US-based Deep Ocean Power to diversify business in Phl

MANILA, Philippines - US-based Deep Ocean Power Inc. (DOPI), one of the world’s largest producers of ocean power, plans to diversify its power venture in the Philippines, a top company official said.

Through its local unit Deep Ocean Philippines Inc., the company is targeting to put up several wind and solar power plants in 36 sites all over the country.

DOPI vice president Jonathan Wong said they are looking at developing between 10 to 300 megawatts of power capacity in each site, depending on the company’s evaluation for each location.

“Each site will be used not only for OTEC (ocean thermal energy conversion) but for on-shore and off-shore wind farms and solar energy as well, if it is determined they are suitable for such technology,” Wong said.

OTEC makes use of the temperature differential between the warm surface waters of the oceans, heated by solar radiation, and the deeper cold waters to generate electricity.

He said DOPI is ready to operate its first plant in the Philippines but declined to give further details on the project.

“The company is in the process of finalizing the implementation of the first power plant, hopefully by the middle of this year,” he said.

DOPI has been awarded service contracts by the Department of Energy (DOE) to explore 36 sites covering 910 prospective blocks or 73,710 hectares in Ilocos Norte, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Occidental Mindoro, Isabela, Aurora, Masbate, Antique, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Zamboanga del Norte, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Misamis Oriental, Surigao del Norte, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, Sulu, Southern Leyte, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Ilocos Sur, Sorsogon and Albay.

Earlier, local DOPI chairman Alberto David said they are eyeing between 10 to 20 MW of ocean power in Panay and Mindoro.

“There are possibilities in those areas. So after three years of studying for the ocean energy service contract, we narrowed it down into two-one in the island of Mindoro and one in the island of Panay,” David said.

The project cost, David said, would likely reach about $2.5 million per MW as the facility will be base-load, which means it would run on a 24-hour basis.