SunAsia building 60-MW solar power plant in Cebu
Local firm SunAsia Energy is investing $120 million (about P5.6 billion) in what would be the biggest renewable energy facility in the province of Cebu.
The planned 60-megawatt facility will occupy 70 hectares of land in a farm area in Toledo City, where 200,000 high grade solar panels, all manufactured according to European standards, will be installed.
The power project is scheduled for completion on Feb. 15, 2016.
Based on the system impact study report of the Power Systems Research and Consultancy Group (PSRCG), SunAsia said the 60-MW solar plant was expected to generate 861,199 megawatt-hours of power yearly.
SunAsia president Tetchi Capellan said that unlike other solar projects, the new facility would preserve the existing landscape of the project area.
“Baltao Farms is home to a number of cattle, carabao, goats and chicken. As planned and designed, the present land use will be preserved for livestock production and only a fraction of the area in the farms will contain panels and infrastructure,” said Capellan.
“Grass will be grown under and in between the solar arrays, thereby preserving the feedstock production for consumption by the animals,” Capellan said.
“Solar modules will be arranged in 5,000 arrays spread in the 70-ha property. In the plant layout, the modules will be raised about 70mm above the ground to allow small animals to graze in the area.”
Capellan also said the Toledo solar power plant can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 38,936 tons or 1.72 million metric tons over 20 years. These were computed using a United Nations formula, which had 2011 as baseline period when fossil fuel share in the Philippine generation mix is at 30 percent.
“This reduction in carbon emissions coming from solar energy power plants will help mitigate climate change. There are several fossil fuel-based power plants in Cebu and the presence of Toledo Solar Project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the area,” she said.
“The arithmetical equivalent of the reduction in carbon emissions is about 2,156 trees planted per year. For 20 years, the total number of trees will be 1.56 million trees,” Capellan added. Amy R. Remo
