Power firm opens solar facility in Leyte

PALO, Leyte, March 11 (PNA) -- The Sulu Electric Power and Light Philippines Inc. (SEPALCO) and its partners unveiled on Thursday a 50-megawatt (MW) solar power facility in this town.

The USD90 million solar power facility in Castilla village can withstand 250 kilometer per hour wind and ready to connect to the existing 69-kiloVolts transmission line of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines over the weekend.

Frank Huang, a Taiwanese investor and partner of SEPALCO said a total 188 solar panels have been set up in a 70-hectare property. These solar panels are designed to absorb sun rays as a source of energy for generating electricity.

“We wanted to achieve that the green society in the Philippines will start from this project, which is our first in the country,” he added.

The project, according to Huang, is designed for 25 years. It is guaranteed through a contract with the Department of Energy for 20 years and expandable for another 5 years.

Huang said they have a plan of increasing their investment in the Philippines by next year through a 100-MW solar facility.

Ben Castillo, SEPALCO president said that the project was conceptualized after supertyphoon "Yolanda" ravaged several towns in Leyte and Tacloban more than two years ago. The group started the project late last year.

“We thought of bringing the project to help alleviate the condition of the locals after the typhoon,” he added.

“We are thankful that Mr. Huang stayed and partnered with us because other weak hearted investors would have run away because of the situation,” Castillo said.

Huang is one of the prime movers of Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, one of the first groups who came to Leyte to comfort victims.

The project, according to Huang was designed to withstand 250 kph wind speed, anchored and piled at a five-meter deep compared to a 1.4 meter deep of their regular projects in other countries.

They also reduced the design that instead of a 90-centimeter high of panels, they only made it 37 centimeters to withstand strong winds. (PNA)
JMC/SQM/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA