LIMASAWA, Southern Leyte – The construction of a solar power plant in this historic island-municipality will bring more improvement to their locality, thus said its mayor.
The National Power Corporation (Napocor) had its groundbreaking last March for the P54 million 120 kilowatt solar power project awarded to Power Dimension Inc.
Limasawa is currently powered by a diesel power plant operated by the Napocor which now runs 24-hours a day from the 18-hours operation last year.
The diesel power plant produces 700 kW which is enough to meet the island’s power demand.
The diesel power plant is serving a total of 1,200 household-consumers through the Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative Inc.
“Hopefully, this will lower the rates on electric bills of Limasawa residents,” Mayor Melchor Petracorta said.
The town mayor added that this will also help in attracting more businessmen to invest in the island that is largely banking on tourism as alternative source of income.
Limasawa residents are mostly fishermen while some are government workers.
Tourism is the alternative source of income in the island which is known to be where the First Catholic Mass in the Orient was held by the group of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 which will have its 500 year anniversary on 2022.
Due to increasing number of tourists visiting the island, there is a good number of lodging facilities and inns established by local investors to cater on tourists’ needs resulting in the increase of electricity demand.
But the biggest contribution of the solar power plant once it starts its operation is on environmental protection, he said.
“There is no carbon emission in solar power. It reduces carbon emission so this is good for our environment,” Petracorta said.
The solar power project is estimated to be finished by September or November this year.
Aside from the solar power plant project, Limasawa is also expected to receive this year two units of 200kW and two units of 300kW generator sets as part of the Napocor’s capacity addition program and to build its own fuel oil storage tank to ensure continuous supply even during time of extreme weather conditions. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
