A TOTAL of 526 megawatts (MW) of installed solar power capacity made it to the race for Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) incentives, according to data released Tuesday by the Department of Energy (DOE).
The approved capacity was just half of the total 1,047.9MW endorsed by DOE for FIT incentives, or the guaranteed returns for businesses—in the form of uniform charges to end-consumers—to make their projects viable. The list would still have to be submitted to the Energy Regulatory Commission for approval.
The list included projects of listed firms and prominent names in the renewable energy sector: Lopez-led firm Energy Development Corp. (EDC), PetroSolar Corp. (a joint venture of PetroGreen Energy Corp. or PGEC and EEI Power Corp.), Tan-led Absolut Distillers Inc., Zabaleta-led San Carlos Solar Energy Inc., and Ayala-Zabaleta joint venture Monte Solar Energy Inc., among others.
Businessman Leandro L. Leviste, a rising star in the solar power industry and son of Sen. Loren Legarda, has two projects that made it to the list.
A total of six projects made it to solar FIT 1, which would have a guaranteed rate of P9.68 per kilowatt-hour, while 17 made it to solar FIT 2, which would allow eligible firms to collect P8.69/kWh.
Solar power development is a hot trend in the energy industry given the short amount of time it takes to construct one project, the continuous drop in prices of materials and the availability of the resource in tropical Philippines.
Lopez-led EDC has one project eligible under solar FIT 1 (Burgos Solar Power Project Phase 1 with 4.1-MW capacity) and one for solar FIT 2 (second phase of the Burgos project with 2.66-MW capacity).
The 18-MW Bais Solar Power Project of Monte Solar, a joint venture between Ayala Corp.’s AC Energy Holdings Inc. and Bronzeoak Philippines Inc., meanwhile, made it to solar FIT 2.
The 50-megawatt (MW) Tarlac solar facility owned by PetroSolar Corp. was also among the large-capacity projects that made it to the FIT list.
The Zabaletas of sugar-rich Negros island are well-known in the agriculture industry but they recently made their mark in the renewable energy market with their 13-MW San Carlos Solar Power Project Phase A and 9-MW Phase B.
Tan-led Absolut Distillers’ 2.04-MW Lian Solar Power Project also made it to the list.
Leviste-led Solar Philippines Commercial Rooftop Projects Inc.’s SM North project qualified for Solar FIT 1. His Solar Philippines Calatagan Corp.’s project also qualified for Solar FIT 2.
The complete list of eligible solar projects are as follows:
Solar FIT 1: Ormoc Solar Power Project (30MW) of Phil. Solar Farm-Leyte, Inc.; Cavite Economic Zone Solar Power Project (41.3MW) of Majestics Energy Corp.; San Carlos Solar Power Project Phase A (13MW) of San Carlos Solar Energy Inc.; Pampanga Solar Power Project (10MW) of RASLAG Corp.;
San Carlos Solar Power Project Phase B (9MW) of San Carlos Solar Energy Inc.; Burgos Solar Power Project Phase I (4.1MW) of Energy Development Corp.; and SM North Solar Power Project (1.5MW) of Solar Philippines Commercial Rooftop Projects Inc.
Solar Fit 2: Cadiz Solar Power Project (132.5MW) of Helios Solar Energy Corp.; Calatagan Solar Power Project (63.30MW) of Solar Philippines Calatagan Corp.; Tarlac Solar Power Project (50.07MW) of PetroSolar Corp.; San Carlos Solar Power Project (SACASOL I-C and I-D) (23MW) of San Carlos Solar Energy Inc.; Clark Solar Power Project (22.33MW) of Enfinity Philippines Renewable Resources Inc.;
Currimao Solar Power Project (20MW) of Mirae Asia Energy Corp.; Bais Solar Power Project (18MW) of Monte Solar Energy Inc.; Bulacan III Solar Power Project (15MW) of Bulacan Solar Energy Corp.; Hermosa Solar Power Project (14.51MW) of YH Green Energy Inc.; Pampanga Solar Power Project Phase II (13.14MW) of RASLAG Corp.;
Kibawe Solar Power Project (10.49MW) of Asian Greenergy Corp.; Cabanatuan Solar Power Project (10.26MW) of First Cabanatuan Renewable Ventures Inc.; Valenzuela Solar Power Project (8.50MW) of Valenzuela Solar Energy Inc.
Centrala Solar Power Project (6.23MW) of nv-vogt Philippines Solar Energy One Inc.; Palauig Solar Power Project (5.02MW) of Agri-Rural Communities Corp.; Burgos Solar Power Project Phase II (2.66MW) of Energy Development Corp.; and Lian Solar Power Project (2.04MW) of Absolut Distillers Inc.