Executives from the local government of Tanay and the Rizal provincial government on Tuesday, June 4, led the groundbreaking rites for the construction of the 112 megawatts Tanay Wind Power Project aimed at further boosting the province's energy reserves.

(Photo from Gov. Nina Ynares)

The event was attended by Rizal Governor Nina Ynares and Tanay officials.

According to Ynares, the Tanay Wind Power Project will be built in barangays San Andres and Cuyambay in Tanay and is expected to be finished by December next year.

"With these state of the art wind turbines na magsu-supply ng sustainable at eco-friendly energy sa ating lalawigan, kalapit probinsya at Metro Manila area, makakaasa tayo sa mga napakagandang epekto sa kabuhayan at turismo gaya na lang din ng positibong impact ng nauna nating 54 MW Pililla Wind farm project (With these state-of-the-art wind turbines supplying sustainable and eco-friendly energy to our province, nearby provinces, and Metro Manila area, people can expect the hugely positive effects of the project in the livelihood and tourism sectors of the province. These positive impacts were also seen in our first 54 megawatts Pililla Wind Farm project)," Ynares said.

"Kung matatandaan, itinayo nung panahon ni dating Governor Jun Ynares ang unang mga windmills sa bayan ng Pililia. Kasama sa plano ang pagtatayo ng mas marami at mas malalaking wind mills na aabot hanggang sa bayan ng Tanay. Dahil hindi biro ang project, matagal ang iginugugol para sa pagpaplano nito. Madaming eksperto ang kinunsulta at dumaan sa butas ng karayom bago aprubahan ng Pamahalaang Nasyonal (The first windmills in the town of Pililia were built during the time of former Governor Jun Ynares. Included in the plan is the creation of more windmills that are much larger, and would extend to the town of Tanay. Since the project is very important, a lot of time was spent in its planning. A number of experts were also consulted and it passed through the needle's eye literally before earning the approval of the national government)," she added.

The Pililia Wind Farm, located in Barangay Halayhayin, features 27 wind turbines standing atop sloping hills at 300 meters above sea level, towering over Laguna de Bay and standing along the NW-SE line to capture the Amihan from October to March. The turbines can reach speeds of up to 36kph, with each turbine producing 2 megawatts.

The entire farm is estimated to be able to generate almost 150 Gigawatt hours of electricity every year.

The governor explained that with the country experiencing insufficient energy supply, leading to the raising of red and yellow alerts by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in recent days, the Tanay Wind Power Project will be a great help in lessening brownouts by the year 2026.