BORONGAN CITY – The Eastern Samar provincial government is opening its doors to new investors aiming to develop clean and sustainable power sources as it moves toward renewable energy.
The latest to express interest is the Tokyo-based company Challenergy, which has proposed installing vertical-axis wind turbines in the province.
Challenergy Chief Executive Officer Atsushi Shimizu, a Japanese engineer and entrepreneur known for inventing the world's first typhoon-resistant wind turbine, paid a courtesy visit to Eastern Samar Gov. Ralph Vincenty Evardone to discuss a potential partnership.
Shimizu explained that the vertical-axis wind turbines have no blades, making them safe, quiet, durable, and bird-friendly. He said the “bladeless wind turbine” was created to address problems commonly associated with conventional horizontal-axis wind turbines.
The company has identified potential sites for the turbines in the towns of Dolores, Can-Avid, Taft, and three barangays in Borongan City.
According to its timeline, site selection will be finalized by June, with mobilization beginning in July. Project implementation is scheduled from 2026 to 2028, after which the turbines will be fully donated to the province at no cost.
Evardone welcomed the proposal, noting that the province is prone to power outages and frequent typhoons.
“This is perfect for an emergency,” Evardone said. “Anything that helps the province is very welcome.”
He also proposed installing turbines on off-grid islands such as Suluan in Guiuan and Hilabaan Island in Dolores, which currently rely on diesel-run generators and community-managed solar panels.
Earlier, Evardone signed an agreement with the energy think tank Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) to draft the province’s local energy roadmap.
Under the agreement, ICSC will provide technical support for the development of a Local Energy Plan and a comprehensive Local Energy Roadmap.
The initiative aims to institutionalize sustainable energy practices and enhance community resilience across the province.