Renewable energy developer PetroGreen Energy Corp. and its partners on Wednesday highlighted the importance of the ongoing redesign of port facilities in key areas of the country to accommodate the entry of offshore wind (OSW) farms.
PetroGreen Energy, in joint venture with Copenhagen Energy and BuhaWind Energy PH particularly noted the role of the Port of Curimao in Ilocos Norte where a 2,000-megaWatt offshore wind farm should soon rise.
The partners welcome efforts by the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) in repurposing the strategic ports.
PetroGreen Energy said that of the three, the Currimao Port in Ilocos Norte plays an essential role in the construction and operation of the 2,000 MW BuhaWind offshore wind farm touted as among the most advanced OSW developments in the Philippines to date.
The project is also expected to generate 24,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region over a two-year construction period and 30 years of operation.
The joint venture is also developing two other projects with a rated capacity of 1,000 MW each in Northern Mindoro and East Panay. These projects will benefit from the repurposing of the port of Sta Clara in Batangas.
The DOE and the PPA earlier announced detailed engineering plans to repurpose the priority ports to ensure they are equipped to handle the installation, commissioning and operational requirements of the OSW projects.
The government similarly included the Port of Jose Panganiban in Camarines Norte to the ongoing redesign given its proximity to high-potential offshore wind energy service contracts.
Jasmin Bejdić, Copenhagen Energy CEO, said the expected inclusion of OSW projects in upcoming iterations of the Green Energy Auction and the grid extension program of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines redound to the success of the technology in the country.
“Repurposing these ports is a game-changer for the Philippine offshore wind industry. The Currimao Port’s involvement in the BuhaWind project is crucial for establishing the Philippines as a significant player in the regional and global offshore wind market,” said Francisco Delfin Jr., PetroGreen Energy president and CEO.
Petro Green is a subsidiary of Petro Energy Resources Corp. (PERC).
The PERC’s power projects include the 32-MW Maibarara geothermal in Batangas, the 70-MW Tarlac solar and the 36-MW (phase 1) and 13.2 MW (phase 2) wind projects in Aklan.
