San Carlos solar energy project gets BOI perks

MANILA, Philippines - The Board of Investments (BOI) has approved the 22-megawatt solar project of San Carlos Solar Energy Inc. (SaCaSol).

The project will be located inside a 35-hectare site in the San Carlos Economic Zone in Negros Island.

“The P1.9-billion project shall start commercial operations in the second quarter of 2014 and enjoy a seven year income tax holiday (ITH) incentive and duty-free importation of renewal energy machinery, equipment and materials including communication equipment,”  the company said.

According to the company, the plant is expected to provide approximately 31,610,473 kilowatt-hour(kwh) of electricity annually to the Visayas grid, which is currently suffering from brownouts and low voltage problems.

The company has tapped Germany-based Conergy AG as supplier of 22 solar power inverters and 88,000 photovoltaic modules that will be used for the plant, it also said.

The project will be developed in two phases, with the first phase involving a 13-MW facility and the second phase a 9-MW expansion.