Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) plans to put up 20 to 30 megawatt (MW) new hydroelectric power plant in Luzon. This is part of PNOC's shift to renewable energy sources, which also includes wind, biomass, ocean and geothermal power. Earlier, PNOC signed an agreement with Soluziana S.A. for the feasibility studies on the 5.6 MW Babuyan and 6.80 MW Langogan hydropower projects in Palawan.
Along with these, PNOC also intends to develop 23.5 MW Timbaban project in Aklan; the 17.8 MW Catuiran project in Oriental Mindoro and the 17.8 MW Sicopong project in Negros Oriental. Also in the pipeline are the 25 MW Villasiga project in Antique; the 20 MW Pasil project in Kalinga; and the 3.7 MW Paracelis project in Mountain province.
PNOC bought the entire photovoltaic inventory of Shell Solar, a unit of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., for PHP42.50 million in 2008.
“We bought Shell’s entire operation so that now we can provide electricity to off-grid areas,” Antonio Cailao PNOC president said.
Cailao added that PNOC is targeting about 5% of the 1.68 million households located in areas not served by the country’s main power grid.
PNOC plans to introduce solar lanterns, solar streetlights, solar accessories, water pumping systems, telecom system packages, computer system packages, multimedia packages and other special applications.
“Renewable energy will be out focus this year,” Cailao said.