Solar panels for Bohol’s 1st solar plant installed

TAGBILARAN CITY — Bohol will soon harness energy from the sun via its indigenous solar power plant.

The PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC) on May 9 installed the first array of solar panels at Dagohoy Solar Power Project (DSPP) worth P1.2 billion in Barangay San Vicente Dagohoy town.

The 32 solar panels were each strung in a 21-meter-long and about 5-meter-wide table mounted a meter above the ground.

The 22-hectare solar site will be covered by 1,270 solar tables, consisting of 40,628 units of Trina Solar-brand panels that produce 41,000 megawatts (MW) of power annually.

READ: PGEC breaks ground for new solar power plant in Dagohoy, Bohol

It will be connected to NGCP’s 69-kilovolt Bohol transmission line to deliver power to the province.

Once operational in the fourth quarter of 2024, the DSPP, considered the first solar power plant in Bohol, will supply 27 MW to over 15,000 households on the island.

PGEC chief executive officer and president Francisco Delfin Jr. expressed the company’s firm commitment to making DSPP the first utility-scale solar power facility in Bohol.

“Given the power supply shortage and the extreme heat we are presently experiencing, any additional power from decarbonized and renewable sources can only be timely for the country in terms of ensuring electricity supply and mitigating climate variability,” he said.

“Our goal is not just to generate power, but our goal is to reduce poverty and generate prosperity for many Filipinos,” he added.

READ: University in Bohol goes solar to cut power costs

Gov. Aris Aumentado and local and key stakeholders witnessed the inaugural PV module installation.

Aumentado said the project is beneficial to Bohol, which for has been dependent a long time on imported power from Leyte and Cebu provinces.

He added the facility’s role in driving economic growth for Bohol while championing renewable energy, environmental preservation, and social progress.

“Today’s solar panel installation is a testament to PetroGreen’s dedication to fulfilling its promise to the Boholanos of providing clean and safe electricity through renewable energy,” Aumentado said.

READ: Bohol town inks deal for solar power project

The governor hoped the project would be the start of a strong relationship between PetroGreen and the community and bolster economic progress.

“I hope that PetroGreen, as well as Rizal Green Energy Corporation (RGEC), could consider investing in other RE (renewable energy) projects as they can be assured of our positive response to such investments,” he said.

PGEC and RGEC also launched a program with a focus on teachers’ training, scholarship grants, and livelihood initiatives promoting enhancement, and management of rattan in DSPP’s host communities.

Dagohoy Mayor Hermie Relampagos said his town was proud to host the very project that will not only boost Dagohoy’s economic status but also enhance the lives of the people.

PGEC, the renewable energy unit of publicly-listed PetroEnergy Resources Corporation, is a joint venture with Japan’s Kyuden International Corporation. RGEC is a partnership between PGEC and TAISEI Corporation of Japan.