27-MW solar plant in Bohol begins operations

By Jordeene B. Lagare – 09:53 AM November 22, 2024
from @jordeenelagare / inquirer.net / Philippine Daily Inquirer

PetroEnergy Resources Corp. (PERC) of the Yuchengco Group has switched on the 27-megawatt Dagohoy Solar Power Project in Bohol, the province’s first utility-scale solar power plant.

A project of Dagohoy Green Energy Corp., one of the four purpose vehicles under PERC unit Rizal Green Energy Corp. (RGEC), the solar facility is situated in barangays San Vicente and Sta. Cruz in Dagohoy town.

The company said the solar plant is expected to produce 41,000 megawatt-hours of power annually, enough to power more than 18,000 homes and control emissions equivalent to 28,642 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.

“The province’s rising power consumption, driven by tourism-related infrastructures and businesses, have long been met by imported power from neighboring islands and aging diesel plants,” PERC said in a disclosure on Thursday.

Before its completion, Bohol had been relying on electricity supply from Leyte and Cebu provinces.

PERC noted Bohol had seen an influx of tourists, attributing it to the shift in preference toward Bohol over other tourist destinations due to its accessibility, cultural offerings, and warm hospitality.

RGEC—a joint venture between Japan’s Taisei Corp. and PEGC—started developing the solar power project in 2022. It has more than 40,000 solar panels spread over a 22-hectare site.

“The completion of the project exemplifies the government’s efforts in accelerating the utilization of renewable energy sources … through public-private partnerships,” Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said.