To boost the supply of electricity in Ilocos Norte, a one-megawatt (MW) solar energy farm installed in the nearly one-hectare vacant lot at the back of the main office of Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (Inec) in Barangay Suyong in Dingras town was recently opened.
The Korean Bosung Powertech Philippines Inc. (BPPI was launched in July, witnessed by Ferdinand Villareal of the National Electrification Administration and local officials.
Jiang Moon, BPPI president, said the solar farm project which supplies the power distributor in the province has 3,240 sheets of 310 solar modules, a 950-kilowatt inverter, a 1,000-kilovolt-amp step-up transformer and high voltage switch gear.
“This is the first renewable energy project of BPPI in the country through a build-operate-transfer which will be turned over to Inec,” Jiang said.
He said the $3-million BPPI solar farm is also expected to generate 1.6 megawatt hours’ annual generation and earn P11 million in annual revenue.
Inec general manager, engineer Felino Herbert Agdigos, explained that under the mutual BOT scheme, BPPI will turn-over the entire solar farm’s facilities to Inec free of charge after 15 years of operation.
“With this new project, the province’s supply of power voltage quality will definitely improve due to the project’s proximity to the distribution system,” Agdigos said.
Inec is the country’s first electric cooperative to tap renewable energy. The BPPI project is an addition to two existing solar plants in the province.
These are the 7.9-MW solar farm installed by Energy Development Corp. in Burgos town and the 20-MW solar power plant project of Soleq Philippines Inc. in Currimao town.