2. Wind Located right in the Asia-Pacific monsoon belt, the Philippines could harness tremendous amounts of wind energy, in particular in the north and center of the country.74 With DoE identifying 16 wind energy potential sites and the industry waiting for the FiT to be implemented, the countries’ facilities have yet to be built, with one exception: the brand new wind industry in the country kicked off in 2005 with the 15 turbine, 33 MW Northwind Power Project in Bangui, Ilocos Norte. Beyond the Northwind Bangui wind farm, there are six additional wind farm projects under development: (1) PNOC-EDC 140 MW in Ilocos (2) UPC Asia, 100 MW (3) Energy Logics, 4060 MW (4) Energy Development Corp. and the Spanish IsoluxCorsan, 10-15 MW (5) PetroEnergy Resources Corp., 30 MW (6) Phil Carbon, 30 MW. There are yet more additional wind farms, which have been studied and mapped comprehensively, which could all bring possible future jobs, revenue, and investment to the Philippines: • • • • • •
Northwind Pamplona Project (Northeast Wind Systems Corporation) 30 MW capacity NorthwindAparri Project (Northwind Group of Companies) 40 MW Burgos Wind Power Project (Energy Development Corp.) 40+46 MW Mauban Wind Farm Project (Quezon Power Philippines) 12 MW Pagudpud Wind Power Project (Energy Development Corp.) 40 MW Camiguin Island Wind Power (Energy Development Corp.) 5 MW
Setting aside manufacturing jobs which wind energy could potentially bring to the Philippines (questions linked to manufacturing are reviewed below) we can roughly measure the jobs potential of wind farms, looking at the 14 key value chain activities throughout the whole process, from creation to maintenance.75 Right at the beginning, wind energy site identification, assessment, and predevelopment all require Philippine expertise even if outsiders are brought in. Wind companies also need clerical and administrative staff, managers, and accountants as well as technical experts. The same is true for nacelle assembly, which needs skilled technicians and engineers or scientists who may need to come from outside the Philippines at first, but also trade workers, clerical staff, assemblers, and managers which could all be Philippine hires. (Again, as with manufacturing, the more units assembled locally, the more people will train to assemble locally.) In the long run, wind farms would provide good, steady jobs in maintenance, including inspecting blades and turbines, routine maintenance, and energy production management. Each wind farm project and certainly each company also needs to hire employees for project development like legal and regulatory analysis (which only attorneys familiar with Philippine law can provide), and project finance (of necessity involving finance specialists engaged with Philippine investment climate and realities). Connecting wind turbines to the grid and substations provides jobs for engineers, electricians, trade workers, inspectors, and managers, with many nationals qualified for such positions. The biggest boost to employment though would undoubtedly come in the construction phase, when on site-civil works would require heavy construction with clearing or grading sites, working on roads, pouring foundations, and preparing the site for tower construction and assembly. Each project is also likely to hire administrative 26
Green is Gold: How Renewable Energy can save us money and generate jobs