Wind Energy

ADB extends 630,000 USD grant to study wind energy in Philippines

The grant, which will be coursed through the Asian Clean Energy Fund and funded by the Japanese government, is expected to help reduce the country’s reliance on coal and oil-fired power and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The grant will be used for wind assessments, annual energy production estimates, assessment of environmental impacts and social acceptability, assessment of wind energy related issues, and an evaluation of transmission connection issues.

The Philippines pioneered the use of wind power in Southeast Asia, in line with the government’s thrust to promote clean energy. The Philippines is home to one wind turbines facility — the Northwind Bangui Bay wind farm in the northern Philippine province of Ilocos Norte.

"The potential for harnessing wind power remains high as the country of more than 7,100 islands is situated on the fringes of the Asia- Pacific monsoonal belt," the ADB said in a statement.

The Philippine Department of Energy has given Alternergy Philippine Holdings Corporation (Alternergy) the rights the to develop wind power facilities in several locations. If the feasibility studies show that the plants are technically and financially viable, Alternergy plans to build three wind farms with a combined capacity of up to 150 MW.

The Asian Clean Energy Fund is one of three funds under the Clean Energy Financing Partnership Facility which was established in 2007 to help improve energy security in ADB’s developing member countries, and to decrease the rate of climate change.

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