Solar Power Plant in S. Cotabato to Begin Operation in November

Koronadal City, South Cotabato (PIA) — The first solar power plant in South Cotabato is expected to start commercial operations in November, an official of the nv vogt Group announced.

On Wednesday, Aug 12, nv vogt Philippines Solar Energy One Inc., and the local government units of Surallah town and South Cotabato province and other partners break ground at the 8-hectare site in Barangay Centrala, Surallah to kick off the construction of the 5 megawatt solar harvester in the area.

“The Surallah solar power plant will generate 5 megawatts of electricity,” said Reynaldo Casas, president for projects of nv vogt Philippines.

The power plant will be connected to the grid via the South Cotabato 1 Electric Cooperative (SOCOTECO 1) substation in Barangay Dajay.

Casas noted that the plant consists of 23,000 solar panels capable of generating 9 million kilowatts (kWh) of electricity in one year or 175 kWh over the next 20 years.

In addition, the plant will also offset 100,000 tons of carbon dioxide, he pointed out.

“We expect the plant to run commercially by November,” he stated. “In November it should already augment the power shortage in South Cotabato.

Aside from generating electricity, Casas added, the solar power harvesting facility, being the first in South Cotabato, could easily become a tourist destination particularly for local and foreign students who would like to study solar power generation.

Meanwhile, Santiago Tudio, general manager of SOCOTECO 1, emphasized the project would benefit all the residents of South Cotabato as the area is expected to experience longer power interruptions until 2016 due to reduced capacity of the hydropower plants in Northern Mindanao.

Tapping on solar power, he added, would address this power supply shortage and reduce the cooperative’s dependence on diesel and coal-powered sources.

“About 80 percent or around 4 MW of the electricity generated by the Surallah solar power plant will be allocated to SOCOTECO 1,” he said. This will be used at peak hours during day time.

nv vogt Philippines, Casas elaborated, has already installed a 7-kilometer transmission line that would link the plant to the SOCOTECO 1 substation.

After the groundbreaking ceremony, the power developing firm will immediately install the ground-mounted solar panels.

An engineer of the project assured they will be able to complete installation of the 23,000 solar panels in only three months.

nv vogt is headquartered in Singapore and is involved in developing solar plants in the Asian region with initial focus in the Philippines and India. It also eyes expansions in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

To come up with the solar power project in Surallah, nv vogt has to comply with over 150 permits, according to SOCOTECO 1 General Santiago Tudio.

Casas disclosed that nv vogt spends US$12 million to establish the 5MW Surallah solar power plant.

He admitted that they could not have been successful in this initiative without the aid of the provincial government led by Gov. Daisy Avance-Fuentes and 2nd District Representative Ferdinand Hernandez, Surallah Mayor Antonio Bendita and the endorsement of SOCOTECO 1.

nv vogt Philippines plans to expand the project with another 5MW solar plant in a nearby site if ensuing conditions will be favorable, Casas added. (DEDoguiles-PIA 12)