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First tidal power plant to be built in south-east Asia
A contract has been awarded to UK-based Inyanga Marine Energy Group to build south-east Asia’s first ever tidal power generation plant in the Philippines.Energies PH, through its affiliate San Bernardino Ocean Power, has awarded an engineering, procurement and construction contract to Inyanga for the tidal project, which will be located on the remote Capul Island of Northern Samar, along the San Bernardino Strait, a passage well-known for the strength of its marine currents.
The first stage of the project, which will use Inyanga’s HydroWing technology, will consist of a 1 MW tidal power plant, to be connected into a microgrid network coupled with solar photovoltaics and energy storage.
The HydroWing technology – designed to be a ‘cost-effective’ and ‘scalable’ solution to tidal stream energy generation – consists of a supporting structure sitting on the seabed, under its own weight, with the ‘wings’ which hold the turbines lowered into position on the structure. The turbines are bi-directional, generating power as the tide comes in and out. Inyanga has also designed a catamaran-shaped barge for installing and servicing the HydroWing turbines.
Capul currently relies on a 750 kW diesel power plant that provides between 8–16 hours of energy per day, with several blackouts. The project is expected to be deployed in late-2025.
Antonio Ver, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Energies PH, comments: ‘As we embark on this pioneering tidal power plant for the Philippines, our vision is to replicate this in several off-grid sites all over the country to provide electricity in the hinterlands. We see the initial project in Capul as a catapult to achieving our goal of helping create sustainable communities across the Philippines.’
Inyanga also has been awarded a contract for a 10MW tidal stream energy project at the Morlais tidal energy site in Anglesey, Wales, said to be the site of the UK’s largest consented tidal energy scheme.
News details
Region: South East Asia
Countries: Philippines -
Subjects: Renewables, Tidal Power, Power generation, Wave / tidal, Access to energy