By John Rey Saavedra
CEBU CITY – A consortium is poised to launch the construction of a 150-megawatt solar power facility in Daanbantayan, Cebu, aimed at meeting the province’s growing energy needs and alleviating the frequent power outages in nearby Panay Island.
Governor Gwendolyn Garcia announced on Saturday that the solar power plant, to be located in Barangay Talisay, will be developed, operated, and maintained by Spain-based Acciona Energia Global and local company Freya Renewables Inc., under a 25-year concession agreement. The project will incur no cost to the local government except for the 185-hectare land.
Garcia met with the executives of the consortium, Daanbantayan Mayor Shun Shimura and officials of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) at the capitol on Friday to discuss the collaboration.
They already signed a memorandum of agreement on March 16.
During the meeting, NGCP vice presidents Reynaldo Abadilla and Cesar Sanchez expressed their commitment to facilitate the transmission of the power produced by the consortium to the power distributors in Cebu and neighboring provinces, according to a news release.
The NGCP also provided the consortium with a complimentary System Impact Study to assist the project with the assessment of the power grid’s capacity to integrate a new generator, identifying some enhancements such as additional transmission lines, transformers, or substations.
The study will be forwarded to the Department of Energy for its endorsement.
The governor has already met with the 56 owners of the lot in Barangay Talisay where the solar panels will be constructed. (PNA)
