TEAM ENERGY ASSISTING SUAL RICE FARMERS

Team Philippines Energy Corp., in partnership with the European Union-access to Sustainable Energy Programme and the Department of Energy, yesterday powered the Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) project in Pangasinan province intended to help boost the productivity of rice farmers in Sual.

Through PURE project, the group will provide Barangay Sioasio East rice farmers a milling center. The package included a palay dehusker, a winnower and a destoner as well as a sewing machine for making sacks for palay and milled rice.

The mill—powered by a 2kilowatt solar photovoltaic system and a powerhouse— and a concrete dryer for palay are expected to increase average household income or savings by an estimated P800 a month.

Team Energy, a venture of Japanese firms including Marubeni and Tokyo Electric, operates the 1,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Sual.

Team Energy Foundation Inc. is also working with the town government of Sual and Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative (Cenpelco).

Sioasio East Solar Power Association Inc., which also operates and manages the solar lighting project in that barangay, will operate and manage the rice milling center.

Cenpelco will be providing technical and administrative oversight.

Through the Asep, the European Union provided capacity-building trainings on financial management, entrepreneurship and leadership skills.

Team Energy is looking at the possibility of implementing the PURE Project in other sites under its foundation’s solar electrification program.