Solar-power hub to rise in Visayas
By Lenie Lectura – July 2, 2024
from Business Mirror
A subsidiary of Greenlight Renewables Holdings, Inc. proposed to build a transmission facility dedicated to connect the San Isidro Solar Power Project to the Visayas grid with a cost of about P2.5 billion.
Greenlight Renewables is the joint venture between Emerging Power Inc. and Shell Overseas Investments B.V.
In a filing with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), San Isidro Solar Power Corp. (SISPC) is seeking approval for authority to develop, own and operate the dedicated point-to-point limited facilities to connect the 280megawatt peak (MWp)/224 MW San Isidro solar power plant project to the Visayas grid via direct connection to the existing 230kilovolt (kV) substation for interim connection, and proposed 230kV Tugas substation of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for the final connection.
The estimated cost of the construction of the interim connection is P1,659,459,839.59 while the estimated cost of construction of the final connection for the dedicated facility project is P852,885,892.00.
The funder, SISPC, assured the project will not impact on any regulated charges. The said costs will be subject to reimbursement after validation by the NGCP.
Upon completion of the project and the commercial operation of the solar project, the SISPC intends to tap the NGCP to operate and maintain the dedicate transmission facility.
To provide additional capacity to the Visayas grid next year, the SISPC said there is a need for the project to commence operations by 2025. It stressed that the construction of the dedicated facility project is a prerequisite for the testing and commissioning, and ultimately, the commercial operations of the San Isidro solar power project.
“A provisional authority and or interim relief is thus urgently needed to enable SISPC to achieve the target commercial operations date of the San Isidro Solar Power Project by 2025,” the company said.
The ERC has set a hearing on August 1 for the proposal.
