Sunny Ilocos town to feed Luzon grid with solar power
By Cristina Arzadon
Inquirer Northern Luzon
CURRIMAO, Ilocos Norte—A solar power farm
that will feed the Luzon grid has broken ground in the sunniest corner of this
province—the fishing and farming village of Paguludan.
Facing the West Philippine Sea, Paguludan
is best known for its beaches. In 2010 the Philippine Tour Operators Association
(Philtoa) declared the town one of the emerging tourist destinations in the
country.
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| Ground breaking ceremony of the 20 megawatt solar power plant in Barangy Paguludan, Currimao, Ilocos Norte Nov. 15, 2012 (Photo grab from Facebook of Gov. Imee Marcos) |
The Currimao solar power farm is one of
two projects that the Department of Energy (DOE) has approved for Ilocos Norte.
In the pipeline is the 50-megawatt solar
power project of Energy Logics Philippines Inc. in the towns of Pasuquin and
Burgos.
On Thursday the Korean power company Mirae
Asia Energy Corp. (MAEC) and the Ilocos Norte government broke ground to signal
the start of the construction of the 20-MW Currimao solar farm on a 60-hectare
property here.
The area is within the 150-kilometer
stretch of sand dunes in Barangay Paguludan.
With vast open expanses that border on
Currimao Bay, the village is a suitable location for a solar power farm.
Albert Sacramed, Paguludan village chief,
said life was bound to change for farming and fishing families in his community
with the development of the solar power farm.
“We are assured of jobs during the
construction period and, [we hope], more reliable and cheaper power for us,”
Sacramed said.
The solar power farm is expected to be
completed in May 2014, with an initial output of 10 MW in the first phase.
Formerly barren
Currimao Mayor Gladys Go-Cue said the site
was formerly covered by a lease agreement between her family and the provincial
environment and natural resources office (Penro) for a tree farm that was
developed by her father, the late Mayor Ernesto Go, in the 1990s.
“This area used to be a desert. My father
began filling it, improved the dirt roads and planted trees during his time as
mayor. I feel like he prepared this site for the solar farm,” Cue said.
A portion of the property is now covered
with fully grown trees, a requirement for the solar park in addition to abundant
sunlight.
Cue’s family also wanted the area to be
developed into a resort, but gave up on the development because of inability to
meet the investment requirement.
Groundwork for the solar power farm began
last year when Gov. Imee Marcos signed an agreement with Korean investor Jongson
Bae, MAEC president, for the development of the project.
Marcos said Currimao, with an extended dry
season of up to nine months, was the best choice for the project.
“With the solar park, we will establish
our claim as the renewable energy center of the country after the wind farm in
Bangui and the hydropower source in the towns of Pagudpud and Adams,” Marcos
said.
Windmills of Ilocos
Ilocos Norte’s windmills remain the poster
image of the Philippines’ renewable energy program, the country’s response to
climate change.
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| Bangui Windmills |
When the solar power farm begins
operating, Marcos said, Ilocos Norte will generate 50 percent of its power
requirement from clean energy and attract investment.
“It will power up industries in the
Currimao port, the best area for passenger and cargo [shipping] in Luzon,”
Marcos said.
Marcos said the Paguludan community and
outlying villages would benefit from jobs that would be generated by the
project.
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