Wind Power Drives Energy Alternatives in Northern Philippines
2009-11-6 10:8
20 wind turbines stand along a 6-mile strip on a beach in Bangui, to harness the strong winds from the South China Sea.
The Northwind Bangui Bay Project, now provides 40 percent of the power needs in Ilocos Norte province of the Philippines via its connection to the national grid.
The project is an important step towards developing alternative sources of energy, especially with a growing clamor to reduce carbon emissions.
The wind farm harnesses 33 megawatts of electricity without emitting greenhouse gases.
Its developers say a wind farm is economical because wind is not only renewable but free.
[Niels Jacobsen, President and CEO, Northwind Power Development Corp.]:
“We're not using any fuel. Fuel is for free, while any other fossil fuel, power plant need to buy their coal, gas, or bangor or diesel, whatever. And that makes it in the long run, as we say, a feasible plant.”
The downside is that wind farms are not 100 percent reliable.
The amount of electricity they generate depends on how the wind blows, and wind strength can vary from zero knots to storm force.
Northwind earns from selling carbon credits through a mechanism provided by the Kyoto Protocol.
The Kyoto agreement allows projects based in developing countries to sell its emission offsets to a government or firm in an industrialized country.
Jacobsen, however, says the U.S. $50 million investment could take years to yield significant profits.
[Niels Jacobsen, President and CEO, Northwind Power Development Corp.]:
“It is a profitable venture. But it's a long-term investment. It's not where you get the returns after a year. It takes a long time for you to recover your investment.”
Wind turbines are a clean source of energy, but wind farms encounter resistance in many countries because some consider them an eyesore.
Residents of Bangui have grown to like their towering neighbors.
[Anthony Campanano, Town Official]:
"It takes some getting used to. If you look at it, there are modern structures built on the beach. But contrary to what we expected, a lot of people visit our place to look at the windmills."
The growing number of tourists stopping to look at Bangui's windmills has increased business opportunities in the area.
Northwind is conducting wind studies at two more sites in the northern Philippines for possible wind farms.
