Foreign Firm Eyes 520MW Solar Project in Proposed PHP80B Cebu Trans-axial Highway

A foreign company which has expressed interest to fund the construction of the proposed PHP80-billion Cebu transaxial highway has proposed to build a 520-megawatt solar project in the province.

In a press statement, YEC International Engineering Services said it will fully fund and handle the engineering, procurement and construction of the solar project.

“Each of the 52 municipalities and cities of the whole Province of Cebu shall be allocated 10 megawatts and these shall be duly interconnected. The solar project is deemed to address the Cebu power crisis by 2016,” the press statement reads.

YEC International is proposing to fund the 300-kilometer transaxial highway which traverses the whole length of Cebu island from Daanbantayan town in the north to Santander town in the south.

The highway has other strategic built-in components including water supply, agro-environmental developments, preservation and management of watershed areas, development of economic zones and reclamation areas.

The initial total project cost estimated at PHP80 billion will also cover urban and master planning, architectural design, and the subsequent procurement of road-right-of-way, construction, and operations in partnership with the Cebu provincial government.

YEC International will partner with KMV Creation, a Philippine-based architectural company, and Barons Singapore to handle urban and master planning.

Adolf Yankee Calijan Genis, president of YEC International, partnered with UK-based international firm for this massive undertaking.

Cebu Provincial Board Member Grecilda Sanchez said solar power is one of the built-in project components of the transaxial highway, a pet project of her late father, former Cebu Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez.

Sanchez said the transaxial highway will be built at no cost to the Cebu provincial government through the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme. (PNA) FFC/EB/EBP