Photos

Renewable Energy now!

Finally, it's being heard more and more on this side of the globe frequently visited by typhoons. Last weekend I attended the ceremonial switch-on of Southeast Asia's first wind power plant on the shores of Bangui Bay in Northern Ilocos.

Who ever imagined this very first-world industrial yet environmental structures would find its way in a developing country such as the Philippines? (I must say, I am looking at it as a half-filled glass and therefore the pleasantly surprised tone).

But thanks to the those who have the idealism of Don Quixote (but sane enough not to fight the charming windmills), 15 of these magnificent wind turbines are now up, 23-storey high each, catching wind power with speed of 7 meters per second (mps) along the Bangui coast.

I must say, the South China Sea has again been made all the more interesting. And my country been given reason to still be hopeful and continue working, living and looking up to better days.


Some Power Numbers:

THE BANGUI COAST -
a 3km shoreline area among 10,000-sq km of windy land exist with good to excellent wind resource potential (Wind Mapping Study, US NREL)

Began delivering power last month
initial feed 7 megawatts (MW)
= 40 percent of the province's power need

Can generate a maximum wind resource of 25 MW


THE PHILIPPINES

Has 47 provinces with at least 500 megawatts of consistent wind potential and 25 provinces with at least 1,000 megawatts of wind potential

Potential wind capacity of 76,600 MW
compared to the following:
Germany (14,000 MW)
Spain and the US ( 6,000 MW each)
Denmark ( 3,000 MW)
India (2,100 MW)

NORTHWIND BANGUI BAY PROJECT:
DOE, LGUs of Ilocos Norte and Bangui,Danish International Development Agency,
NorthWind Power Development Corp

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The town's name came from a seaweed species that abound in the Bay and is locally called "Bangi". Bangui is 511 years old.

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For more details about the event: http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=40914