Taiwan power firm wants to invest in microgrids for remote Philippine areas, considering Batanes

Taiwan power firm wants to invest in microgrids for remote Philippine areas,
considering Batanes

CONTROLNET International, Inc., which manages 80% of Taiwan's power grid,
has expressed interest to invest in the Philippines to create "hybrid
microgrids" in order to provide stable and reliable electricity for remote
areas, according to a company executive.

Controlnet International, Inc. is looking at Batanes as one of the provinces
where the system could be deployed. -- THE PHILIPPINE STAR

"We are very interested in [investing in the Philippines] because we think
we have a lot to offer the country," Pawel Lisewski, international
department executive at ControlNet, told the Philippine media at a briefing
on July 19 at the company's offices in Taipei.

Much like Taiwan, Mr. Lisewski said the Philippines also has a "couple of
natural challenges...[which] make it difficult to keep power stable" and
cited being part of the typhoon belt and the multitude of islands as some of
the challenges.

He then introduced the concept of "hybrid microgrids" which can supply power
to remote islands for 24 hours, efficiently and reliably.

A hybrid microgrid is an "independent power system... to provide dependable
long-term energy supply that can drive an isolated island or a remote region
to economic growth," according to a company press release.

The hybrid solution has been applied in various remote locations in Taiwan
such as the outlying Chimei island and the mountainous Fushan Ecological
Zone in Kaohsiung in 2015.

"We can use [renewable energy sources like sun and wind] alongside other
sources of energy," Mr. Lisewski said adding anything that comes from
agriculture likes coconut husks can turn into biomass which can then be
turned to energy via gasification or heating up the material without
combustion.

In this system, both renewables and non-renewables are hooked up to a single
grid and are used interchangeably to provide electricity.

Mr. Lisewski said the hybrid solution will create a more stable system as
the existence of other energy sources like diesel and biomass can take up
the slack of renewable sources like solar and wind whose function depends on
current environmental conditions and can be less reliable.

At the same time, the presence of renewables on the grid will lessen the
reliance on non-renewable resources and lower electricity costs.

"With proper resources, we can offer them a cheaper source of power," he
explained.

In the Fushan Zone, where the company installed a hybrid microgrid after a
storm took down power lines in 2015, Mr. Lisewski estimated the cost of
putting up the grid at around eight million New Taiwan dollars but stressed
that cost will vary by location.

And while the company is interested in bringing its expertise to the
Philippines, Mr. Lisewski stressed that the "government needs to be
interested" and there should be "willingness, regulation and financing," for
it to work.

He added the company is looking at Batanes as one of the provinces where the
system could be deployed.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=taiwan-power-f
irm-wants-to-invest-in-microgrids-for-remote-philippine-areas-considering-ba
tanes&id=148751

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com