42 RE deals to add 1,700MW to local generation capacity

The Department of Energy has awarded 42 renewable energy service contracts (RESCs) for projects that can potentially provide as much as 1,700 megawatts of additional capacity to the country.

Awarding these contracts was in line with the agency’s aggressive promotion of indigenous sustainable energy, and the country’s fulfillment of its international commitments.

“We are committed to increase our renewable energy capacity and maintain a minimum of 30 percent share in the power generation mix in the coming years,” Energy Secretary Zenaida Y. Monsada said in a statement issued Tuesday.

“Through this government intervention, the country will be able to achieve its undertaking to triple installed renewable energy capacity by 2030, reflecting its 21st Conference of the Parties pledge and proactively responding to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s aspiration of doubling renewable energy capacities of member-economies from 2010 level by 2030,” Monsada said.

According to the DOE, the capacity expected from these proposed projects were on top of the additional total potential capacity of 12,128 MW recorded as of end November 2015.

If all these projects are aggregated and realized, the country’s installed capacity could reach up to about 20,000 MW by 2030, which is higher than the initial National Renewable Energy Program target, it said.

Data from the DOE showed that there were three biomass RESCs awarded to Green Atom Renewable Energy Corp., FDR Integrated Resource Recovery Management, Inc. and Lamsan Power Corp., while four wind RESCs were granted to Firstmax International Corp. and the Lopez-led Energy Development Corp.

Meanwhile, nine hydropower projects and 26 solar power projects were also granted RESCs.

It was toward the last quarter of 2015 that the newly appointed energy secretary greenlighted these renewable energy projects after having reviewed each contract.