China company eyeing Subic for wind energy project

A China based company has offered its services to conduct a study for renewable energy sources in this Freeport particularly the viability of establishing a wind turbine facility here.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Wednesday said that representatives from the company based in China assisted by Charles Chen, an official of the Subic Clark Alliance for Development came to Subic last week to meet with SBMA officials to express interest in a wind farm project here.

SBMA Chairman Feliciano Salonga said that he asked the company to submit a proposal to determine if Subic would be a feasible venue for the project.

Although SBMA has yet to name the company Salonga said that “This is a positive development which could only prove to be beneficial to the Subic community ultimately.”

“Hopefully, we could develop Subic’s Redondo Peninsula as a source of alternative and renewable energy that we can even feed to the Luzon energy supply grid,” he said.

Redondo, which is the location of the shipbuilding facility operated by South Korean company Hanjin Heavy Industries Corp.-Philippines, is composed of a chain of mountains that branch off from the backbone of the Zambales mountain ranges.

“The wind blows over the peninsula all year round, and because the Subic Freeport has its own power generating system, it will be easy to connect the wind power system to the grid,” Salonga explained.

“Subic is really a good choice for this project,” he added.

Salonga said the Chinese company would have to conduct a one-year detailed study of wind velocity and volume in the area.

Salonga, said officials of the SBMA are excited about the potential of a wind farm in Subic because the project could help lower the cost of power in the free port.

“We’ve been a net power consumer for too long,” Salonga said. “So isn’t it nice if we become a power producer for a change?”