Thai firm eyes hybrid RE project in PH

Thai firm Electricity Generating Public Company Limited (EGCO) is eyeing to pursue a wind-solar-battery storage full hybrid renewable energy (RE) project in the Philippines that will yield up to 120 megawatts of capacity.

According to Quezon Power (Philippines) Limited Co. Managing Director Frank Thiel, the proposed RE installation will likely reach firm investment decision in the next two to three years.

“It’s a development we’ve been working on, but it’s still early days, we’re still evaluating” he said, adding that the planned wind farm installation will be for targeted 40 to 60MW capacity – and the solar installation may require 80 to 90 hectares for the ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) siting.

“We’ve put up met (meteorological) towers so we may collect wind data. We are in the process of operating the met towers,” Thiel said while qualifying that equipment had been deployed “so we can capture some of the radiation and for us to determine how feasible it is to do the solar site.”

He stressed “the wind is a little more advanced than the solar, so we’d like to do both if we can… the battery is just to complement, so we can make the plant function like a conventional plant.”

Thiel emphasized “the wind resource is very good here, on average 6-7 meters. We’re looking at wind turbines with bigger sweep, so we’ve done a lot of homework on engines and we’re looking at the usual suspects,” referring to the turbine suppliers as well as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors of wind projects.

The planned hybrid RE facility development is targeted close to the sites of the company’s Quezon Power and San Buenaventura coal-fired power facilities in Quezon province.

Thiel nevertheless qualified that if final investment decision will be rendered by EGCO principals in 2-3 years. (MMV)