Aboitiz Power Corporation, through its subsidiary Aboitiz Renewables Inc., recently signed a joint venture agreement with global renewable energy company Mainstream Renewable Power to build a 90-MW onshore wind project in Libmanan, Camarines Sur.
The commercial enterprise benefits from the combination of AboitizPower’s local expertise in renewable energy and Mainstream’s specialty in RE development. It is expected to be a leading contributor to the country’s drive to increase the utilization of indigenous energy sources like wind and solar.
Early this month, in a bid to draw more investors and end-users to renewable energy, the Department of Energy approved an increase in the yearly renewable portfolio standards from 1 percent to 2.5 percent. The target is to achieve 35 percent RE share of the total generation mix by 2030.
“This joint venture marks AboitizPower’s first foray into wind energy and underscores our aspiration to be a strong renewable energy partner,” Emmanuel V. Rubio, president and chief executive officer of AboitizPower said. “We are optimistic about the realization of our renewable ambitions over the next decade, both domestically and internationally, while we continue to serve the critical baseload needs of the Philippine energy system.”
AboitizPower is one of the pioneers of RE in the country and is working to grow its renewable portfolio to 4,600 MW by the end of the decade.
“The Libmanan onshore wind project with Mainstream, along with future endeavors in the pipeline, will help bring us to our goal,” Rubio added.
James Arnold Villaroman, president and chief operating officer of Aboitiz Renewables Inc., echoed the role AboitizPower has undertaken toward a decarbonised energy future of the Philippines.
“We are excited for this project with Mainstream, given our shared aspiration of growing the Philippine renewable energy generation portfolio in the years to come,” Villaroman said. “This is the beginning of an exciting new era for AboitizPower and ARI, as we take a key step toward our 10-year strategy of growing our renewable energy capacity and striking a 50:50 balance between our renewable and thermal portfolios.”
The joint venture, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is being delivered through an investment agreement for ARI’s proposed acquisition of a 60 percent stake in the Libmanan onshore wind project, which Mainstream has been developing since 2017.
“We are delighted to be entering this joint venture with AboitizPower to deliver our first wind farm in the Philippines,” said Mary Quaney, chief executive officer of Mainstream. “The Philippines is one of our priority markets in the region and we are committed to working in partnership with AboitizPower to support the country’s ambitious and commendable target to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2030.”
The Philippine government’s ambition is to generate 35 percent of all its electricity from renewables by 2030, and 50 percent by 2040. The country has multiple strategies to achieve its targets, including the Green Energy Option Program, Renewable Portfolio Standard, and the recently launched Green Energy Auction Program.
RE expansion is expected to play an important role in meeting the Philippines’ growing economy and electricity demand.