Philippines DOE to award more renewable energy contracts next month

Nov 30, 2009 - Asia Pulse Data Source

More renewable energy contracts will be awarded next month, Philippines Energy Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan said.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has not come up yet with a complete list of the contractors but Marasigan said the department was looking at the same number of RE contracts that were awarded recently.

"I'm not giving numbersbut its almost the same or even more," he told reporters.

Last October, the energy department awarded 87 renewable energy contracts to 18 companies covering the development of solar, hydropower, biomass, geothermal ocean and wind energy power.

The awarding of the contracts were mandated under the Renewable Energy Act also known as Republic Act 9513.

Marasigan said they are carefully studying all the proposals to ensure that they conform to the requirements as set under the RE law.

"We don't want to rush things [but] we're looking at every provision that the RE developer are requesting and were also trying to look at what the companies will do, their work activities, if these would be implemented or not because we would want to firm up when they say they will start their operations and they have the capacity to do it," Marasigan said.

Asked when they expect to award the new RE contracts, the official said without rushing things we can make an announcement by next week, within the National Energy Consciousness Month.

Marasigan said the agency was also working hard to make sure that all the necessary documents were ready before they award the contract.

"We are readying our own responsibilities, by the time that we sign the contracts, we should be ready with our certificates of registration, endorsements to BOI, BIR and NWRB for hydros. All these things we have to consolidate taking off from our experiences from the previous signing," he said.

Companies that were awarded RE contracts recently includes the Deep Ocean Power Philippines, Inc. (DOPPI); Trans-Asia Renewable Energy Corp. (TAREC); Constellation Energy Corp (CEC); Century Peak Energy Corp.; PNOC-Renewables Corp.; Energy Development Corp. (EDC); First Gen Bukidnon Power Corp.; Luzon Hydro Corp.; Lucky PPH International, Inc.; First Gen Mindanao Hydro Power Corp.; AV Garcia Power Systems Corp.; Benguet Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Alternergy Philippine Holdings Corp. (APHC); DOST-Industrial Technology Development Institute; and HEDCOR, Inc.