Daily TribuneThe 75 identified areas covering 12,212 households were part of the 98 identified areas clustered into 49 lots previously offered during the 1st round of the bidding in November 2023.
(File Photo)
The Department of Energy (DOE) will start the process of the second round of competitive bidding to determine the rightful Microgrid System Provider (MGSP) for 75 identified unserved and underserved areas in the country.
The DOE announced over the weekend that interested MGSPs will be invited to prepare their proposals during the first week of August. These providers will have until the fourth week of August to submit their offers.
Meanwhile, the submission and opening of technical and financial bid proposals will be set in the first week of September. Once these timelines are followed, the DOE said, a Notice of Award will likely be issued by early December.
The 75 identified areas covering 12,212 households were part of the 98 identified areas clustered into 49 lots previously offered during the 1st round of the bidding in November 2023.
According to DOE, these areas are viable for MGSP given their high demand.
The Microgrid Systems Act of 2022 mandates a Competitive Selection Process (CSP) before an MGSP can operate in off-grid areas.
The law specifies a 90-day timeline for completing the CSP, from pre-qualification to submitting the awarded contract to the Energy Regulatory Commission.
The 2023-2032 National Total Electrification Roadmap has identified 407 areas in need of electrification, with 285 unserved areas comprising 20,103 households and 122 underserved areas with approximately 20,207 households. These remote areas have economic activities that necessitate reliable electricity services.
In the inaugural round of the MGSP-CSP, eight lots across Cebu, Quezon, and Palawan provinces were granted to the Maharlika Consortium, comprising Maharlika Clean Power Holdings Corp., Singapore-based CleanGrid Partners Pre Ltd., and WEnergy Global Pte Ltd.
As the winning MGSP, the consortium will deliver uninterrupted, 24/7 electrical services to these areas through a hybrid microgrid system that combines solar photovoltaic, energy storage systems, and diesel gensets.
