Catbalogan signs deal with Korean firm on wild power project

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar (PNA) – The city government here has signed Wednesday a deal with South Korean firm ODIN Energy Co., Ltd., for the construction and installation of a wind power generator in the city.

The signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) kick-started talks between the company and the local government unit through Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan, which included specifics of the project, cost of construction and possible joint ventures with other parties.

According to Catbalogan City Administrator Dennis G. Cosmod, it has also been agreed that ODIN Energy will provide the technology and turbines for the wind power generator while the local government will finance site preparation.

The ODIN wind power generator, a tower-like structure, is an innovative technology which promises a more efficient way of harnessing wind energy compared to traditional ones.

ODIN Energy Vice President Richard Jo ensured that their company does not intend to profit from said project. “Earnings will be reinvested again in the city,” he said.

Samar State University President, Dr. Eusebio T. Pacolor and the university’s faculty of the College of Engineering will be involved in the project by providing technical support once the wind power generator is operational.

Cosmod said construction is expected to begin in mid-2016 with the wind power generator set up on the top of the new Catbalogan City Hall that will rise within the Catbalogan’s Sky City Mega Project.

The Sky City Mega Project, according to Cosmod, is the local government’s response to rapid urbanization, downtown congestion and environmental hazards that the city is facing.