PH’s first tidal energy project up soon

The renewable energy subsidiary of Philippine National Oil Co. has entered into a deal with Filipino and French partner firms to build the country’s first tidal energy power plant— a project meant to harness the powerful flow of water along the Philippines’ coastlines.

In a statement, PNOC-Renewables Corp. said the move was part of its commitment to contribute to energy self-sufficiency in line with the Department of Energy’s policy of creating a balanced energy mix.

Last year, PNOC-RC said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with H&WB Asia Pacific on three service contracts from the Department of Energy, mainly in the San Bernardino Strait, and with Sabella SAS of France, a leader in the marine energy industry.

H&WB had earlier performed ocean resource assessment, and preliminary onsite current measurements to determine the overall energy potential of San Bernardino Strait between Matnog, Sorsogon and Northern Samar.  It also carried out a thorough review and analysis of proven Tidal In-Stream Energy Conversion (Tisec) technologies.

The evaluation process led to the selection of Sabella as the implementor of the Tisec technology.

The deal’s groundwork was laid down as early as 2015 when H&WB and Sabella signed a memorandum of agreement to jointly develop and implement a demonstration project in viable blocks of San Bernardino Strait as a prelude to entering the project’s commercial phase.

The islands of Capul and San Antonio in San Bernardino Strait fall under the Small Power Utilities Group (Spug) scheme and are fueled by diesel power plants.

“Connection to electricity is limited, sometimes nil, especially in Capul where its islanders have electricity merely for six hours a day,” the statement said. “The local government of Capul displays strong political will, and its populace actively gets involved to augment power supply because their old diesel generators often fail.”

“Besides, the deleterious effects of fossil-based power impact negatively on environmental sustainability,” the statement said. “In view of this, tidal power as part of an innovative, insular energy model is a green, and cost-competitive alternative to fossil energies, and guarantees clean power supply, 24/7, aspired for in a carbon-neutral economy.”

Sabella and H&WB have recently completed bathymetry measurements in the project site. The next step is to establish a special purpose company in the first half of 2017 to begin project finance and engineering works.