Napocor putting up more solar hybrid plants in SPUG areas

MANILA, Philippines — State-run National Power Corp. (Napocor) plans to build four more solar photovoltaic-diesel hybrid in its Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) plants located in far-flung villages and islands in the country.

Napocor president and CEO Pio Benavidez said its 2021 to 2025 Missionary Electrification Plan provides a framework of how renewable energy, particularly solar hybrid, would be implemented and integrated to its existing SPUG areas for the next five years.

“For this year, we aim to duplicate the success of our Limasawa Solar PV-Diesel hybridization in Limasawa Island, Southern Leyte to four other areas such as Cuaming, Bohol (55 kWp), Palumbanes in Catanduanes (40 kWp), Sabtang in Batanes (250 kWp), and Itbayat in Batanes (250 kWp),” Benavidez said.

Napocor completed its pilot hybridization project in Limasawa in 2019 and was synced to the Limasawa Diesel Power Plant in February 2020.

Since the hybrid system began operating, there had been a reduction of the cost of electricity by an average of P0.97 per kilowatt-hour and recorded fuel savings of about 31,000 liters of diesel with an estimated amount of P970,000. (Both calculations were based on the actual fuel consumption and delivered price. It does not include the fixed operating costs of the power facility).

Napocor said based on the projected operation of Limasawa DPP for the next five years, the estimated average fuel savings is 45,800 liters per year which is equivalent to P1,750,000 million per year. From a long-term perspective and considering the increase of fuel price and decrease of power production of the solar PV and its battery system, the hybrid system will reduce the cost of electricity at an average of P1.33 per kilowatt-hour and will allow an average diesel fuel savings of 38,700 liters per year. There would also be a reduced carbon dioxide emission at 101,820 kg per year.

“With these promising developments and in response to the DOE’s strategic directive of promoting a low carbon future, Napocor will be more proactive in building and integrating renewable energy in our SPUG areas,” Benavidez said.

Napocor, as mandated by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 or Republic Act 9136, is tasked to perform missionary electrification in the farthest communities and islands. It is in this capacity that the corporation operates 276 SPUG plants in 189 municipalities across 35 provinces in the country.