LAOAG CITY -- Energy Logics Philippines, Inc. is developing another solar farm located at the boundary of Burgos and Bangui towns in Ilocos Norte province, covering more than a thousand hectares of forest land.
Victor Dabalos, officer-in-charge of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – Ilocos Norte, said Wednesday the renewable energy company has been eyeing to boost supply to the Luzon grid for years, but it took them some time to start construction.
Dabalos confirmed that the DENR central office has issued the firm a special tree cutting permit last December 12, allowing them to cut about 2,984 trees and 5,145 more to be earth-balled. Most of these trees were planted in the past by people’s organizations under the Philippine Forest Development Project in Ilocos Norte.
Under the agreement, he said Energy Logics has to replace every tree that was cut with 100 seedlings.
“The DENR has issued them a special tree cutting permit but they have to establish a new tree plantation with more than 300,000 seedlings. They are also mandated to take care of the seedlings planted for a period of three years,” Dabalos said.
Owing to the huge number of trees already cut, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) are set to visit the solar project area on February 4.
Initially, Energy Logics planned to establish a 132-megawatt wind farm in Burgos, Ilocos Norte and a 100-megawatt solar power plant in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte.
The solar project was relocated to Tanap village, Burgos and it will be expanded to neighboring Bangui.
To date, Burgos is host to a 150-megawatt (MW) wind farm, said to be the biggest in Southeast Asia, with a four-MW solar farm courtesy of Energy Development Corp.
The same company is also planning to expand its solar farm to 100 MW to 150 MW in the next three to five years. (PNA)
