DOE grants new wind project to Alternergy

MANILA, Philippines — Renewable power firm Alternergy Holdings Corp. (AHC) has secured from the Department of Energy another onshore wind project in Luzon.

AHC, through Alternergy Wind Holdings Corp. (AWHC), received a certificate of authority (COA) from the DOE, granting the company the exclusive right to conduct wind resource exploration and assessment across Albay.

“The COA framework is a landmark policy initiative by the current DOE under Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla. It supports developers from the onset, thereby helping mitigate project risks and enhance overall project viability,” AWHC president Knud Hedeager said.

Spanning over 6,300 hectares of land, the wind facility has a potential capacity of at least 150 megawatts, forming part of AHC’s next wave of green energy projects beyond its 500-MW goal.

Under the COA, AWHC must complete the pre-feasibility studies and permitting activities from relevant government agencies within a three-year timeframe.

Once the project site is proven commercially viable, the DOE certification will then be converted into a 25-year wind energy service contract.

“This is an exciting time for us as we are set to complete construction of our Tanay and Alabat wind power projects this year, after which Alternergy will be moving forward with developing new wind projects,” Hedeager said.

The Tanay wind farm in Rizal and the Alabat wind project in Quezon have a combined capacity of 192 MW.

These wind projects, along with the 28-MW Solana Solar in Bataan, align well with AHC’s goal of having at least 500 MW of attributable capacity by 2026.

Last January, AHC unit Solana Solar Alpha Inc. signed a P1-billion omnibus loan and security agreement with Yuchengco-led Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. to partially fund the Bataan project.