The National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) is planning to build six renewable energy (RE)-diesel hybrid power plants under its RE program in off-grid areas.
Based on a report from The Philippine Star, NAPOCOR’s Missionary Electrification Plan includes the RE program, which focuses on developing solar, wind, mini and micro hydro hybrid power plants.
Missionary electrification refers to the delivery of basic electricity services to unviable areas. Meanwhile, off-grid areas are those places in the country not connected to either the Luzon, Visayas, or Mindanao Grids.
NAPOCOR Vice President for Corporate Affairs Rene Barruela said the government-owned firm is aiming to install 1.1 megawatt-peak (MWp) hybrid systems to comply with the offgrid requirement of Republic Act 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act.
Barruela said priority projects include the 55 kilowatt-peak (kWp) system in Cuaming Island in Inabanga, Bohol; the 40 kWp system in Palumbanes Island in Caramoran, Catanduanes; and the 250 kWp system in Sabtang and Itbayat in Batanes.
So far, NAPOCOR has installed a 120 kWp solar photovoltaic (PV) diesel hybrid facility in Limasawa, Southern Leyte, which was commissioned in February. The island town, also the site of the country’s first recorded Catholic mass 500 years ago, used to be powered solely by a 700kW diesel power plant since 2017.