13 solar plants in line for FIT perks

MANILA, Philippines - Thirteen solar-powered plants with over 360 megawatts (MW) in generating capacity are in line to receive feed-in tariff (FIT) incentives, data from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) showed.

The power regulator said these projects are up for inspection to confirm if these plants are running and are entitled to incentives.

Under the FIT scheme, a set of incentives are given to power developers for investing in more expensive renewable energy projects.

The biggest power project in the lot is the 132.49-MW solar farm of Helios Solar Energy Corp. in Cadiz City, Negros Oriental.

The project, which was originally intended to have 100-MW in capacity, is also the biggest solar plant running in the country to-date.

The 58.98-MW solar plant of San Carlos Power Inc. is also in the ERC’s list for inspection.

Located in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, the project is joint power venture between SunEdison Philippines Helios BV and Aboitiz Renewables Inc., the holding company of AboitizPower’s renewable energy investments. 

Another project in the ERC’s list is the 50-MW Tarlac solar facility of PetroSolar Corp., which is jointly owned by PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC) and construction firm EEI Power Corp.

The company had announced the project started delivering power to the Luzon grid last Jan. 27.

The 30-MW plant of ATN Phils. Solar Energy Group Inc., the joint venture between ATN Holdings Inc. and Transpacific Boardbrand Group International Inc., started running and will be part of ERC’s inspection. It is located in Montalban, Rodriguez, Rizal.

The list also includes another solar farm located in Negros Occidental, the 18-MW Negros Island Solar Power Inc..

The 16.32-MW solar farm of South Korean Mirae Asia Energy Corp. in Currimao, Ilocos Norte will also be inspected by the power regulator. 

The firm announced earlier this week the plant started to operate, investing $40 million to construct the solar project.

The ERC also included the 14.5-MW solar facility of local power developer YH Green Energy Corp. located in Leisure Estate, Hermosa Ecozone Industrial Park in Bataan.

In a statement yesterday, YH Green said the project started delivery of power to the Luzon grid at 9:55 a.m. last Feb. 9.

“A testament to the Philippines’ commitment to shift to clean energy is the support that government agencies have given to projects like this,” the firm said.

Other projects in the list are: the 13.14-MW Raslag Phase 2; 10.5-MW solar farm of Asian Greenergy Corp.; the two 5-MW plants and a 3.82-MW project of Solar Powered Agri-Rural Communities Corp.; and the 2.66-MW Phase 2 of the EDC Burgos solar project.

Solar developers were given until March 2016 to complete and produce power from their projects to be eligible to receive the new P8.69 per kilowatt-hour (kwh) FIT rate in the second round of FIT for solar.

The Department of Energy has approved a FIT allocation of 500-MW for the second round, higher than the 50-MW allocation in the first round.