Suweco opens solar-diesel microgrid plant
Credit to Author: JORDEENE B. LAGARE| Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2019 17:36:43 +0000
SUWECO Tablas Energy Corp. (STEC) recently switched on the hybrid solar-diesel microgrid with battery facility in Romblon, dubbed as the first and largest hybrid facility in the country.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday led the inauguration the P550-million Tumingad Solar Power Plant located in a 9-hectare property in Tablas Island. It is capable of meeting the daytime power requirements of 43,000 households in the island.
The solar-diesel microgrid plant is capable of producing 7.5 megawatt peak (MWp) of electricity. Excess solar power will be stored in the plant’s batteries and will be used to maintain a reliable system, while diesel generators will produce electricity at night.
In a statement, STEC said it was scheduled to commence commercial operations of the power plant by September. The facility is expected to save about 3 million liters of fossil fuel and reduce carbon emissions by 6.5 million kilograms per year.
“An estimated P180 million per year will be saved from the government subsidy for universal charge for missionary electrification,” STEC said.
The company inaugurated the solar-diesel microgrid plant following Duterte’s order to Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi to harness the development of renewable energy resources and reduce the country’s dependence on traditional energy sources including coal.
STEC said in the island alone, about 43,400 households used to experience daily power outages because of limited supply from state-owned National Power Corp.’s small power utilities group (SPUG).
SPUG areas are those that are not connected to the national grid and therefore depend on diesel-power sets.
A pioneer in the implementation of hybrid technology in the country, STEC is a major power player in Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Romblon and Antique which operates several mini-hydro and diesel power plants.