PWEI to expand Aklan wind energy capacity

PetroWind Energy Inc. (PWEI) plans to install additional wind turbines and a new transmission line to address growing power demand in Aklan province.

In a report by Manila Bulletin, PWEI Senior Manager Jayson Abaniel said the three new turbine units under the Nabas-2 wind power project aim to ease power supply challenges.

Abaniel said that Nabas-2 stands as the only new power plant linked to the Panay sub-grid since the island-wide outage in January 2024. Through PWEI’s support of the government’s grid enhancement efforts in Aklan,  it aims to optimize our wind farm’s output while securing a stable flow of renewable energy to meet the region’s growing demands.

Phase 2 of the Nabas project, commissioned last April after approvals from the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), is expected to boost capacity from 42.6 megawatts (MW) to 49 MW when the new units become operational next year.

The Nabas-Caticlan-Boracay transmission project, recently approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), aims to address overloading issues in three critical transmission areas: the Nabas-Caticlan 69- kilovolt (kV) line, the Caticlan-Boracay submarine cable, and the Manoc-Manoc 69-kV substation.

The Php 4.2-billion transmission project, expected to be operational by 2025, will help stabilize power supply between Panay and the Visayas grid.

Aklan Provincial Administrator Selwyn Ibarreta welcomed the developments, citing their potential to boost the province’s economy.

Meanwhile, Nabas Municipal Planning and Development Officer Johann Juguan highlighted the importance of these energy upgrades for the province’s expanding needs.

Juguan said that the province has a new health facility and a tourism center opening soon, which would require uninterrupted power. Additionally, a new terminal building of the Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, expected to open by 2026, will benefit from these developments

The Aklan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AKELCO) also sees the project as a solution to recurring power interruptions that disrupt local businesses while improving grid stability in the region.