MAJOR PLANS. Jarek Pole, senior development advisor for the Asia-Pacific Region for BlueFloat Energy, talks to the Ilocos Norte media on Saturday (Sept. 9, 2023). He said BlueFloat Energy is interested in expanding offshore wind development in the northern Philippines. (PNA photo by Leilanie Adriano)
LAOAG CITY – An offshore wind developer has expressed interest in exploring the coastal areas of the provinces of Ilocos Norte and Cagayan for possible extraction of wind energy using floating wind turbines installed in the sea.
BlueFloat Energy’s senior development advisor for the Asia-Pacific Region, Jarek Pole, bared his initial plans Saturday while visiting Ilocos Norte to share his expertise on expanding offshore wind development in the northern part of the country.
He said BlueFloat Energy plans to leverage its floating wind experience and global experience to develop projects in Ilocos Norte and Claveria, Cagayan.
“We are currently working on a feasibility project for two years now and there’s a lot of work to be done first. Now that we are confident that the project is viable, then we come up and we invite you how we can make it work,” Pole said in a media briefing on Saturday night.
He said BlueFloat will work closely with local communities, government entities and other stakeholders to ensure that its projects comply with environmental regulations.
He added he would make sure they would not offend cultural beliefs while providing long-term benefits for host communities.
By using cutting-edge floating technology, Pole said the company’s portfolio of both bottom-fixed and floating projects aims to generate 32.4 gigawatts of planned capacity in Spain, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Columbia, Portugal and the Philippines.
The proposed Philippine projects collectively represent the largest single-country planned initiative of BlueFloat at 7.6 gigawatts.
Recently, the Department of Energy reported that there are 118 pre-qualified companies that will inject capital for the 11,600 megawatts of renewable energy capacities targeted for addition to the country’s energy mix between 2024 and 2026. (PNA)
