MANILA, Philippines — The first tidal power generation plant in Southeast Asia will be built in the remote island of Capul in Northern Samar, along the San Bernardino Strait, an area well-known for its strong marine currents.
Project proponent Energies Ph Inc., through its affiliate San Bernardino Ocean Power Corp., has awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the one-megawatt project to UK-based Inyanga Marine Energy Group.
Inyanga will utilize its HydroWing tidal stream technology and its tidal stream turbines will be connected to the electrical network of Capul, an off-grid island relying on a 750-kilowatt diesel power plant.
The first stage of the project involves connecting the power plant into a microgrid network coupled with solar photovoltaics and energy storage. This is expected to deliver a reliable, sustainable and cost-competitive alternative to power generation feeding on fossil fuels.
Inyanga commercial manager Jean Christophe Allo said the tidal turbines would provide continuous 24/7 power supply to the area. Capul only has eight to 16 hours access to energy daily as it experiences several blackouts.
“Tidal stream energy is the most predictable and reliable form of renewable energy,” Inyanga CEO Richard Parkinson said.
“Our HydroWing technology is at the cutting edge of innovation and provides a cost-effective solution to harvesting the power of the ocean’s tides.”
Inyanga is known for projects involving the global-offshore renewables industry. The firm has two divisions: tidal energy technology development HydroWing, and offshore engineering and installation Inyanga Maritime.
HydroWing is Inyanga’s largest tidal stream development project in Wales.
Energies Ph eyes replicating the tidal project in several off-grid sites across the Philippines to provide energy in the hinterlands.
“We see the initial project in Capul as a catapult to achieving our goal of helping create sustainable communities across the Philippines,” Energies Ph CEO Antonio Ver said.