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MANILA— The Lopez-led FP Island Energy Corp said Thursday it has brought round-the-clock electricity in 3 remote islands in Camarines Sur with the completion of its microgrid projects.
In a statement, the microgrid developer said it has completed its projects in the islands of Haponan and Lahuy in Caramoan and Quinasalag in Garchitorena.
FP Island Energy Corporation, a subsidiary of the First Philippine Holdings Corp, said its microgrids, under the Qualified Third Party (QTP) program of the Department of Energy (DOE), have begun commercial operations on Dec. 10.
The areas used to experience 8 to 16 hours of daily outages, FP Island Energy said.
The microgrids have solar components that work when there is sunshine, which is stored in a battery system. When the battery drains, a diesel generator provides back-up power for the continuous availability of electricity in the microgrids," it said.
A prepaid metering system is used instead of billing customers every month so that customers can manage their power consumption.
“As a Lopez Group company, we at FP Island pursued these microgrid projects because they are aligned with our Group’s new mission which is ‘forging collaborative pathways for a decarbonized and regenerative future,’” FP Island president Victor Emmanuel Santos Jr. said.
“I have very high hopes the microgrids will help uplift the lives of the residents in the islands, most of whom make a living by fishing," he added.
Santos said the islands are surrounded by rich marine resources but half their daily catch goes to waste due to the lack of ways to preserve the fish before it gets to market.
But with 24/7 electricity, residents can now make ice to preserve their catch, he added.
"Round-the-clock electricity could spawn other livelihood opportunities in the island. It could attract investors keen on developing the area’s potential as an eco-tourism site," FP Island’s business development officer Martin Lacdao said.
Combined, the 3 islands are estimated to have 15,000 residents who were previously not connected to the main Luzon electric grid, the company said