Trans-Asia starts study on wind power project in Guimaras

MANILA, Philippines - Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp., an oil and energy development arm of the Phinma Group, will come up with the results of the feasibility studies on its planned Guimaras wind power project this year.

“We will be doing the feasibility studies soon. We will start this year. The study will take about six months,” Trans-Asia Oil president and chief executive officer Francisco Viray said.

He said the feasibility studies will allow the company to gauge the capacity of the proposed wind power project in Western Visayas.

Initially, he said they expect a possible 20-megawatt (MW) wind power project in Guimaras, which is one of 12 areas identified by the Energy Department that have high potential for wind energy utilization.

Based on its preliminary assessment, the wind project is estimated to cost about $2 million per MW. Thus investments for a 20-MW plant would reach around $40 million.

“Some 20 MW will be the maximum capacity (of the project) and then we will run it as a hybrid with our diesel power plant. Right now we’re measuring wind in one of the five towns in Guimaras, specifically San Lorenzo,” Viray said.

He said the wind power project is part of the expansion of the group in Guimaras.

Trans-Asia Oil has an existing 3.4-MW Bunker C-fired diesel power plant in Jordan, Guimaras.

Viray said they are currently studying if they could tap wind energy of between 10 MW to 20 MW in five towns in San Lorenzo, Guimaras.

The wind project, he said, would also be a hybrid facility which between could also run using diesel fuel.