posted June
01, 2016 at 11:30 pm by Alena Mae S. Flores [thestandard.com.ph]
Solar
Philippines said it will build one of the world’s largest solar panel factories
in Batangas with a capacity of 2,000 megawatts at a cost of more than $1
billion.
Solar
Philippines said in a statement the facility would be located in Tanauan,
Batangas, with the first section operational by the end of the year. “The total 2 GW [2,000 MW] will cost over $1
billion, but the first phase for this year will be just a fraction of that
amount,” Solar Philippines president Leandro Leviste said.
“Increasingly,
solar manufacturing is moving from China to Southeast Asia, and we believe that
the Philippines can lead that trend. Filipinos are among the best workers in
the world, and the large local solar market can add to the demand for otherwise
export-only factories,” Leviste said.
A
visualization of the pioneering solar factory that Solar Philippines plans to
build in Tanauan, Batangas to make solar cheaper than coal in the
Philippines. It also aims to make the
Philippines the world’s largest solar production hub outside China.
The company
said while it had received offers from the world’s largest solar manufacturers
to become partners in the venture, it had already begun the procurement process
for manufacturing equipment and would start setting up the facility in the
third quarter.
The planned
facility will utilize state-of-the-art German technology to produce
high-efficiency solar panels at the lowest possible cost, it said.
Solar
Philippines said given the skills and productivity of Filipino workers, the country
could become a solar powerhouse that is competitive on quality and cost.
The facility
will eventually create over 6,000 direct and 20,000 indirect jobs, it said.
Leviste said
the facility was being constructed with the aim of lowering panel costs, taking
control of the supply chain and supporting the new administration’s agenda to
bring manufacturing to the Philippines.
“This is the
key step towards lowering solar costs, enabling us to produce electricity
cheaper than coal. Instead of importing expensive fuel from other countries, we
will manufacture here in the Philippines. Soon enough, our country can become
the Saudi Arabia of solar, a leading energy exporter, and Made in the
Philippines panels will be used around the world,” Leviste said.
The panels
will initially be used for Solar Philippines’ own projects, and later export to
the US and Europe. The company forecasts a minimum demand of 500 MW by
mid-2017.
Solar
Philippines is the first and only company to combine project development,
financing and construction in-house in the Philippines.
The company
completed the Calatagan solar farm and projects with SM and Robinsons Malls. It
aims to make the Philippines the first 100-percent solar economy and a global
leader in solar.
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