MANILA, Philippines — The Yuchengco Group’s PetroWind Energy Inc. (PWEI) is close to jump-starting commercial operations of the second phase of its wind power project in Aklan province after securing the necessary approvals.
In a statement, PWEI said the Independent Energy Market Operator of the Philippines (Iemop) had approved the registration of the 13.2-megawatt (MW) Nabas-2 wind power project with the Wholesale Energy Spot Market (WESM).
PWEI—a joint venture among PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC), its parent PetroEnergy Resources Corp. and Thailand’s BCPG Public Co. Ltd—is the proponent of the wind project.
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“This WESM registration approval authorizes phase 2 as an additional facility of PWEI,” PGEC assistant vice president for power markets Dave Gadiano said. “We are excited and look forward to the eventual commercial operation of Phase 2.”
WESM is the central marketplace for trading electricity as a commodity. This is where power generators can sell their excess energy not covered by any supply agreement and from where power distributors can purchase additional capacity to augment their primary supply.
Sole wind facility in Visayas grid
The first phase of the wind facility, with a capacity of 36 MW, started operating in 2015.
The Nabas-2 wind project is the sole wind facility in the Visayas grid that secured a 20-year contract to supply energy under the first Green Energy Auction Program of the Department of Energy held in June 2022.
Gadiano said the inclusion of the project at WESM had come following the successful testing by the Energy Regulatory Commission of metering equipment at the facility and further testing by National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) this month.
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NGCP subsequently issued Nabas-2 wind power project the certificate of approval to connect as a load facility.
“With this approval, PWEI can now energize the new and dedicated 16 MVA phase 2 substation with feedback power to start the internal technical tests of our Vestas wind turbines. Should all go well, grid compliance tests with power export to the grid will soon follow,” PGEC vice president for technical operations Paul Elmer Morala said.
The firm earlier said the wind farms would supply much-needed electricity in the entire province as well as help address the increasing energy requirements of Boracay Island.