Petro Energy’s 40-MW Limbauan solar set for grid entry

Rizal Green Energy Corp. (RGEC), a joint venture of Japan’s Taisei Corp. and PetroGreen Energy Corp., is ready to supply clean power to the Luzon grid after completing the grid connection of its 40-megawatt direct current (MWDC) Limbauan Solar Power Project (LSPP) in Isabela, pending final approval from the transmission operator.

In a stock exchange report on Tuesday, PetroEnergy Resources Corp. (PERC) said the connection was completed on October 25 through RGEC subsidiary BKS Green Energy Corp. (BKSGEC). 

The project is now awaiting approval from the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) before it can begin test operations.

“Actual testing and commissioning of the LSPP to add power to the Luzon grid now only awaits NGCP’s approval of the Energization Request which BKSGEC filed on 29 August,” PERC said.

The LSPP comprises a 6 MWDC Phase 1, embedded in the Isabela Electric Cooperative (ISELCO) distribution network, and a 34 MWDC Phase 2, connected directly to NGCP’s 69-kilovolt Tuguegarao-Cabangan transmission line. 

NGCP issued a provisional approval to connect on 24 October, enabling the project to complete its grid tie the following day.

BKSGEC and contractor Harmonics System Inc. completed the tapping of Phase 2 through the project’s switching station, simultaneously with the connection of Phase 1 to ISELCO’s 13.8 kV line at the Cabangan substation. 

PetroEnergy said construction of the power plant and grid facilities had been “substantially completed” as early as August.

The Limbauan facility is part of RGEC’s 112 MWDC pipeline of utility-scale solar projects. Its other projects include the 27 MWDC Dagohoy Solar Power Project in Isabela and the 19.6 MWDC San Jose Solar Power Project in Nueva Ecija, both now operational. 

Another project, the 25 MWDC Bugallon Solar Power Project in Pangasinan, was also completed in August and is awaiting NGCP approval of its own energization request filed in August.