2nd Ilocos Norte windmill farm project opens

BAGUIO City, Philippines - Another wind farm project in Ilocos Norte was opened in Burgos town, north of Laoag City on Wednesday.

The Energy Development Corp. (EDC), the country’s largest geothermal producer, will build the $300 million and 87-megawatt Burgos Wind Project (BWP) which covers around 600 hectares of land across Saoit, Poblacion and Nagsurot villages in Burgos.

The wind farm when finished will be the second wind energy facility in Ilocos Norte next to the Northwind power plant built in 2005 in nearby Bangui town.

The Burgos wind farm is accordingly bigger than the Bangui windmills.

The first in Southeast Asia, the Bangui windmills have since become one of the main sources of electricity in the province as well as a tourist lure in the province.

The EDC has tapped Vestas Wind Systems of Denmark to construct the wind turbines.

The Burgos wind farm, expected to become operational on 2014, will generate more than 230 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year which is enough to supply a million households.

It is also expected to generate jobs, boost economic activity in the province and contribute to the national effort to develop clean and green energy resources.