Danish firm to invest P108B in N. Samar wind power project

TACLOBAN CITY – Danish firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) is investing PHP108 billion to develop the 650 megawatt (MW) offshore wind power project in Northern Samar, the provincial government announced on Friday.

The local government said that Board of Investments (BOI) Assistance Service Director Ernesto de los Reyes confirmed this in a meeting with Governor Edwin Ongchuan and key officials of CIP on January 25.

“The project is currently in the pre-development phase and is expected to commence ground investigations in the first quarter of 2024, which will continue until the end of 2025. These investigations will involve utilizing equipment to measure wind speeds, seabed conditions, and environmental factors,” Northern Samar provincial economic development and investment promotions office chief John Allen Berbon said in a phone interview Friday.

The large-scale offshore wind project will be established in the towns of Bobon, Catarman, Mondragon, San Roque, Pambujan, and Laoang. These areas, according to Berbon, are feasible for wind energy.

The provincial government also reported that the BOI has issued a Certificate of Endorsement for the Green Lane Certificate on January 10, 2024.

The project has also received endorsements from various government agencies, including the Department of Energy.

The company targets delivering these offshore wind projects within the tenure of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., according to the official.

Ensuring grid connection is a top priority for the project, and discussions have already begun with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to secure the best options, Berbon added.

This includes potential grid connection points such as the Calbayog 138 kV (kilovolt) substation, the San Isidro 138 kV substation, a potential new station near a 350 kV transmission line, and the Calbayog-Allen 138 kV transmission project.

Other related investments in Northern Samar are the San Isidro On-shore Wind Power Project in San Isidro town by Aboitiz Renewables, Inc., and Vena Energy. (PNA)