Alternergy Holdings Corp. has commenced delivering electricity from its 128-megawatt (MW) Tanay wind farm to the Luzon grid, marking the first project awarded under the second Green Energy Auction (GEA-2) held in 2023 to begin supplying power to the grid.

The GEA-2 program, conducted by the Department of Energy under the framework of the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, allocates renewable energy capacity to qualified suppliers through competitive bidding. The Tanay project's early delivery to the grid represents a tangible step in the Philippines' push to raise the share of renewables in its power generation mix to 35% by 2030 under the National Renewable Energy Program.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Alternergy said the wind farm began feeding electricity into the grid following the energization of its interconnection facilities. The connection was established through a substation linked to the 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission backbone operated by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).

Once fully operational, the Tanay wind farm is projected to generate approximately 283.5 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of renewable electricity each year — enough to power roughly 118,125 households — while displacing an estimated 197,780 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

"This is the culmination of years of dedication, collaboration and hard work by our employees, contractors, financing partners, government agencies, LGUs (local government units) and host communities," said Alternergy President Gerry P. Magbanua.

As of July 20, the Tanay project was 89% complete and on track to reach commercial operations by October. Meanwhile, the company's 64-MW Alabat wind farm in Quezon province was 83% complete.

Both projects are central to Alternergy's broader renewable energy expansion strategy, which aims to scale its combined portfolio of wind, solar, hydroelectric, and battery energy storage projects to one gigawatt (GW) by 2030.

The Tanay and Alabat wind farms are supported by A Brown Company, Inc.'s P2.3-billion investment in Alternergy. Last week, the company announced that ABC Energy, Inc., a subsidiary of A Brown, had completed its investment in Alternergy's wind project companies. A Brown acquired a 40% stake in both Alternergy Tanay Wind Corp., the entity developing the Tanay wind farm, and Alabat Wind Power Corp., the developer of the Alabat wind farm. The planned transaction will be undertaken following the investment by ABC Energy in the two project companies.

— Sheldeen Joy Talavera