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ERC awards provisional authority for Trans-Asia’s San Lorenzo Project grid connection
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MANILA — The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has awarded a provisional authority for Trans-Asia Renewable Energy Corporation’s (TAREC) 54-megawatt (MW) San Lorenzo Wind Farm Project to connect it to the Luzon grid, through the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
“A provisional authority to develop and own or operate the proposed dedicated point-to-point interconnection facility to connect the San Lorenzo Wind Farm Project to the transmission system of the NGCP is prayed for because it is indispensible for the completion of construction of the said Wind Farm Project,” the ERC said in a decision.
TAREC said if the issuance of authority is further delayed, the company may not qualify for the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) due to the lack of hitting the 200-MW required installation target, which is the capacity required for FiT.
Moreover, TAREC said the project is vital to establish Western Visayas as the Renewable Energy (RE) frontrunner mix for 2020.
The interconnection facilities amounts to Php 970.23 million, broken down into two substations, two submarine cables and supervisory control and data acquisition system.
It will eventually be connected to the Panay Energy Develop Corporation’s (PEDC’s) 138 kilovolt (kV) Substation in Ingore, Iloilo. Thus, creating supply for the area.
“Ultimately, the Wind Farm Project shall be permanently connected to the PEDC’s 138 kV Substation in Ingore as soon as the said Substation is reclassified as a Transmission Asset,” TAREC said.
On the other hand, the ERC’s pay permit fee for the project costs Php 7.3 million.
Initially, the San Lorenzo Wind Farm Project comprises 27 wind turbine generators, with a power of 2 MWs each. It costs USD 140.9 million, based on Department of Energy (DOE) documents.
It targets to undergo testing and commissioning by Dec 2014, according to the DOE, a change from its initial application to the ERC targeted for the third quarter of 2014.
Further, the project has been issued a DOE Certificate of Confirmation for Commerciality last May 2013.
Trans-Asia Renewable Energy Corporation engages in the development of renewable energy and wind energy projects, operating as a subsidiary of Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp.
