PetroWIND Energy, Inc. (PWEI) has obtained the necessary approvals to activate its 13.2-megawatt (MW) Phase-2 of the Nabas wind power project in Aklan.
The Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines Inc. (IEMOP) has given the green light for the facility’s registration with the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), the company said in a statement.
PetroWind is a joint venture between PetroGreen Energy Corp., the renewable energy division of the Yuchengco-led listed company PetroEnergy Resources Corp., and Thailand’s BCPG Public Co. Ltd.
One Milestone After Another
According to the company’s website, Phase-2 is the only wind power initiative in the Visayas grid that was able to secure a 20-year offtake in the Department of Energy’s first Green Energy Auction.
Of the recent approvals secured for the project, PetroGreen’s Assistant Vice-President for Power Markets, Dave P. Gadiano said “This WESM registration approval allows Phase-2 to be an additional operational facility of PWEI.”
According to Gadiano, the approval came after successful testing by the Energy Regulatory Commission of the project’s metering equipment in February.
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) also conducted a test for the project’s supervisory control and data acquisition in March.
Following the WESM registration approval, the NGCP issued the certificate of approval to connect Phase 2 as a load facility.
“With this approval, PWEI can now energize the new and dedicated 16 MVA (megavolt-amperes) Phase-2 substation with feedback power to start the internal technical tests of our VESTAS wind turbines,” said Paul Elmer C. Morala, PetroGreen Vice-President for Technical Operations.
Next Steps
“Should all go well, grid compliance tests with power export to the grid will soon follow,” he added, referring to the Panay sub-grid.
The Nabas-2 wind power project, situated south of the existing 36-MW Nabas-1 facility, aims to add six more turbine generators to the existing 18 of the first phase. The company’s goal is to finish Phase 2 of the project within 2024.
Among the challenges faced by the project are protests made by stakeholders who are concerned about the project’s possible negative effects on the Nabaoy River, the primary water source in the area.
Source: PetroWind secures approvals to power Aklan wind project