By Juzel L. Danganan
MANILA, Sept 20 (PNA) — Emerging Power Inc (EPI) is gearing up for the construction of its substation for its 150-megawatt (MW) solar and wind project in Subic, which will start on Monday.
“It’s a 100-MW solar and 50-MW wind project within Aeta community area below the Sta Rita mountain. Construction will begin Monday on the substation to be erected next to the current SBMA substation,” Nickel Asia Corp (NAC) vice president for Corporate Communication Jose Bayani said.
Nickel Asia Corp holds the majority stake of EPI.
Bayani noted the start of the construction for the company’s 100-MW solar and 50-MW wind project is set in October.
He also said the power plant’s target commissioning is on Feb 2016, a month before the Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) deadline in March.
The solar project will cost Php 200 million and is expected to start commercial operations in June 2016.
EPI chairman Antonio Martin Zamora said, for his part, the project will be the largest solar and wind project in Southeast Asia when completed.
NAC recently acquired Jobin-SQM Inc (JSI), which holds the service contracts for the 150-MW project.
JSI president Nancy Tan signed with SBMA in 2014, a 50-year lease agreement to develop wind and solar projects in an 800-hectare lot at Mt. Sta Rita.
NAC earlier said it will guarantee the loan facility of EPI for up to Php 3 billion over a three-year period to finance EPI’s projects. (PNA)