Sabang Energy to provide power to Puerto Princesa

Renewable energy developer Sabang Renewable Energy Corp. (SREC) will start providing round the clock power to a town in Puerto Princesa, Palawan once it completes its first hybrid-powered microgrid next month.

SREC—composed of Singapore-based WEnergy Global, Gigawatt Power Inc. and Vivant Corp.—is set to complete the construction of its hybrid mini-grid system in May and will provide stable, reliable, and renewable energy that will power further growth in Cabayugan.

It will operate a hybrid power plant—combining solar panels and diesel engines— and an electricity distribution system in Barangay Cabayugan, Puerto Princesa City.

“We are not merely installing four diesel engines and a 1.4-megawatt peak (MWp) solar energy system. We’ve been building our own grid from the ground up, and erecting electrical poles and cables spanning 14 kilometers since April 2018,” SREC chairman Emil Garcia said.

Under optimal conditions, the hybrid plant will generate as much as 2.6 MW once it is completed.

This will allow the mini-grid to provide power to approximately 10 public buildings, 18 small businesses, 19 hotels and restaurants, and 583 households.

“By combining solar panels and diesel-fueled power generation, SREC will save the environment from over 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, while providing stable and reliable energy that will improve everyday living in Cabayugan,” Garcia said.