Yuchengco’s energy unit on track to finish Aklan wind park expansion

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Aklan—Yuchengco-led PetroWind Energy Inc. (PWEI) is expanding its onshore wind project in this province, with three more turbines targeted for completion next year.

Currently, the company’s Nabas Wind Power Project has a running capacity of 42.6 megawatts (MW).

Once Phase 2 has been completed by 2025 with the erection of the remaining towers, the group’s committed capacity under its service contract with the Department of Energy (DOE) will reach 49.2 MW.

READ: A.T. Yuchengco Centre switches to 100% renewable energy with Ayala’s ACEN RES

The first three turbines have been delivering power to the grid since last April, PWEI’s senior manager Jayson Abaniel said during a briefing with reporters on Friday.

However, company officials would not provide figures on the project cost when asked.

PWEI is a joint venture among PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC), its parent PetroEnergy Resources Corp. and Thailand-based BCPG Public Co. Ltd.

“Nabas-2 remains the only new power plant connected to the Panay subgrid since the island-wide grid outage in January 2024,” Abaniel said.

Grid stability

“PWEI is therefore supportive of the government’s grid enhancement project in Aklan, as it will help reduce the risk of generation curtailment at PWEI’s wind farm, leading to more stable power generation and the continued opportunity to supply clean power to the grid,” he added.

Panay experienced a massive power issue earlier this year, affecting locals and the operations of businesses in the province. The situation has also prompted lawmakers to launch investigations into the matter.

According to Abaniel, PWEI’s wind park has been delivering 5 percent of Panay’s power demand. Still, coal-based generators remained the dominant technology in electricity generation for the island.

Transmission link

Meanwhile, the group as well as the local power cooperative here welcomed the Energy Regulatory Commission’s decision to approve the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines’ P4.2-billion Nabas-Caticlan-Boracay 138-kilovolt transmission project. This project is expected to be completed by the first half of 2025.

“We expect these two vital projects to improve grid stability in the area and hopefully help reduce power interruptions,” said Ariel Gepty, acting general manager of Aklan Electric Cooperative.

“We are fully aware that whenever there are power interruptions, local businesses, especially the small ones, are affected,” Gepty said. INQ