New Ilocos Norte offshore wind project secures early baseline studies greenlight
Yuchengco-led PetroEnergy Resources Corp. (PERC) announced that the Northern Luzon offshore wind (OSW) in Ilocos Norte has been granted a pre-development environmental compliance certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Monday, June 2, the company said Buhawind Energy Northern Luzon Corp. (BENLC) has been awarded an ECC, which would allow them to conduct geophysical, geotechnical, environmental, and social surveys that would help study the physical and social conditions of the development site.
This would also further move the about two-gigawatt (GW) OSW project to construction, if deemed feasible.
“These data will be needed not only in the development design of the OSW power facility but also in assessing potential environmental impacts to the site,” it stated.
BENLC is a joint venture of PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC), along with Danish firm Copenhagen Energy (CE).
Yrel Ventura, PGEC’s assistant vice president for environment and community, elaborated that the ECC approval would “initiate the conduct of a systematic, comprehensive, and scientific study of the site’s physical and social setting that will not only meet international industry standards but provide a factual basis for assessing development concerns.”
Previously, the Northern Luzon OSW earned the energy project of national significance (EPNS) certification from the DOE last April, allowing the expedited processing of its developments. The Board of Investments (BOI) has also endorsed the project through a green lane certification last November.
Aside from Northern Luzon, BENLC is planning other wind farms that would generate a total capacity of four GW, including the Northern Luzon OSW.
This includes the Northern Mindoro and East Panay wind projects.
Its international partner, CE, has significant experience in developing offshore and onshore wind projects, as well as solar plants located in Denmark, Ireland, Italy, and Australia.