SUSTAINABLE energy use in the Philippines got a big boost with the collaboration between Swedish-Swiss global technology company ABB and solar energy provider Solar Philippines.
The collaboration between the two companies, which was announced recently via a virtual media launch, is for a 63.3 MW solar plant project that will provide more than 400,000 people with sustainable energy.
The Calatagan Solar Farm in Batangas is one of the largest solar facilities on Luzon, with 200,928 solar panels providing electricity to more than 413,000 people across six municipalities in Western Batangas.
The project, made possible with help from the Philippine government’s Feed-In Tariff (FIT) scheme, will take advantage of the abundant levels of sunlight in the Philippines. It is anticipated that the country has a potential solar-generating capacity of 4.5-5.5 kWh per square meter per day, making it ideal for solar power facilities such as the Calatagan Solar Farm.
Calogero Saeli, Global Product Group Manager, Packaging and Solutions, ABB, explained that harnessing the power of the sun can only bring benefits for the Philippines, helping to increase energy efficiency and reduce potential impacts on the environment. “We believe that the scope for solar power is greater than the aspirational target of 1,528 MW outlined in the Government’s National Renewable Energy Plan for 2030. The sun is an obvious energy source and is also a relatively easy renewable energy to implement and integrate into the grid. The cost of solar continues to get more affordable, which is good news for the local community and increasing the use of renewables will create much-needed jobs.”
To ensure continuous power supply, ABB provided the core Electrical Balance of Plant (eBOP) equipment, from the solar panel to grid connection, for the solar farm. This combination of low- and medium-voltage technology includes 23 2,400kVA and 13.8 kV skid-mounted modules, along with two bays of 69 kV substation equipment, 30 MVA 69 kV/13.8 kV power transformers, one modularized e-House with 14 frames of UniGear ZS1 switchgear with Relion® protection relays and one set of protection and control panels.
The pre-engineered, predesigned integrated “plug and play” solution provided to Solar Philippines reduced on-site installation time through the use of standardized building blocks. These are scalable and modular, which minimize site works and providing a quicker return on investment.
“The second round of the Philippines’ solar FIT scheme has an allocation of 500 MW and was a race to the finish. ABB was able to deliver the within the target deadline, making it a candidate for the government’s FIT program. To qualify for the preferential rates available via the Solar Feed-in Tariff program, the first 500 MW solar sites in the Philippines had to be operational by a strict deadline. ABB helped Solar Philippines complete the 63.3 MW Calatagan Solar Farm on schedule by using our pre-fabricated modular solutions which require less site works and enable faster completion times,” added Reynaldo Regenio, ABB Global Sub-Product Group Manager, Packaging and Solutions after when asked during the media launch.
ABB has the most comprehensive portfolio of products, systems, solutions, and services in the renewable power value chain that enables the generation, transmission, and distribution of solar and wind power together with energy storage systems, from the smallest residential solutions to multi-megawatt systems. In partnership with Solar Philippines, the solar initiative will help country-wide efforts to shape a more sustainable future for the Philippines, particularly for local power and energy consumption.