BoI approves Singson’s P1.16-B Ilocos Sur biomass project
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THE Board of Investments (BoI) said it approved Satrap Power Corp.’s proposal to develop a P1.16-billion, 10-megawatt (MW) biomass power plant in Santa, Ilocos Sur.
In a statement, the BoI said the plant will use municipal solid waste and agricultural waste to generate up to 3 MW and 7 MW at a power plant in Santa’s Barangay Nagpanaoan.
It said the project has a feedstock supply agreement with various local governments in the province and expects to receive 86 tons of municipal waste and 200 tons of agricultural waste a year. The plant will employ 30 people and is expected to enter commercial operations by April 2019.
It said the feedstock will be transported and fed to the plant in the form of pellets to fuel gas or steam turbines.
The electricity generated is expected to be sold to the National Grid in accordance with the Feed-in Tariff system. The Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ISECO) is also being considered as a market, it said.
“This project boosts the Ilocos region as a hub for renewable power and complements the wind power plants already in the region. The addition of biomass projects will spur further development of renewable energy sources in the area as we continue our march towards reducing our dependence on fossil fuels over time,” Trade Undersecretary and BoI Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo was quoted as saying in the statement.
The project is classified as an investment priority in accordance with the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, or Republic Act No. 951, which calls for the exploration and development of renewable energy resources such as biomass, solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and ocean energy sources, including hybrid systems, to achieve energy self-reliance, through the adoption of sustainable energy development strategies to reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels and minimize the country’s exposure to price fluctuations in the international markets.
The law aims to increase the utilization of renewable energy by institutionalizing the development of national and local capabilities in the use of renewable energy systems, and promoting its efficient and cost-effective commercial application by providing fiscal and non-fiscal incentives.
