DMCI Holdings Inc. said Monday that its off-grid power generation unit DMCI Power Corp. is set to build a wind power plant in Semirara, the central Philippine island that hosts the biggest coal reserve in the country.
It said DPC will soon finalize the wind power capacity once data are confirmed. But initial projections suggest a capacity ranging from 8 to 12 megaWatts. The operational implementation expected within 12 to 15 months. The project will be funded and undertaken independently by DPC.
“We are also looking at solar energy to augment the supply in the island, but we are prioritizing wind resource development because it has shown the most promise,” said DPC president Antonino E. Gatdula, Jr.
“Current studies suggest that wind power could potentially deliver a 33 percent plant utilization rate, compared to just 17 percent for solar. Capital expenditure per megawatt for both wind and solar projects are also roughly the same,” he added.
The 2001 wind resource study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy found that Semirara has some of the best wind resources in the Philippines since it is located within the Luzon-Panay wind corridor.
