nv vogt eyes 200 MW solar capacity in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - German-backed solar developer nv vogt Philippines is eyeing to build 200 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity in the next three years.

Vivek Chaudhri, president of nv vogt Philippines, bared the company’s direction moving forward during the inauguration of the 7.48-MW solar farm in Bgy. Dalayap in Tarlac City last Friday.

“We started in the Philippines about four to five years back and last year, we’ve seen a dramatic [turn for us] and we aim to continue putting up solar plants in the country. We’re building 200 MW in the next two to three years,” he said.

These prospective solar farms will be located mostly in Luzon and Mindanao, where the company has already established projects and could cost around $300 million to install, Chaudhri said in an interview with The STAR.

The firm is also eyeing a solar park concept in partnership with a local government in Mindanao and this effort is being led by its president Reynaldo Casas.

Last December, nv vogt Philippines completed the five-MW first phase of its 10-MW plant in Surallah, South Cotabato. “We already have a plant in Mindanao. So we’re looking at the second phase of the same size that we have developed over there,” Chaudhri said.

In Luzon, the company has constructed the 7.48-MW Dalayap solar farm and the 8.84-MW Armenia solar plant, both in Tarlac.

The contractor for all the projects was ib vogt, the German partner of nv vogt, and the plants in Tarlac were constructed in a record time of two months.

These planned solar projects can partly replace the peak power demand of these locations, especially in Mindanao, Chaudhri said.

“In Mindanao, there’s a power shortage. In addition a lot of the peak power is delivered by diesel. Solar plants generate during the day, so they’re a good replacement for a part of this peak power. We cannot replace the entire amount (as of yet) but this is a start,” he said.

“We’re waiting for the next round of feed-in tariff to be announced. We expect new FIT rate to be slightly below P8, which we think is still sustainable,” he said.

A part of the company’s 200 MW development will target the FIT.