DIPOLOG CITY – A 15-hectare solar power plant is set to rise in Barangay La Union, La Libertad, Zamboanga del Norte, through a partnership between the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Astroenergy Development Dipolog.
The project will be established in a converted agrarian land area granted to the company, with construction divided into two phases. It includes the installation of solar energy facilities designed to supply electricity on a wholesale basis to the local distribution utility.
Rizzel Villanueva, provincial agrarian reform program officer of DAR Zamboanga del Norte recently led an ocular inspection of the site to validate the company’s project progress report.
He said, once completed, the solar farm will feature around 10,000 solar panels and is expected to generate sufficient electricity to meet the energy demands of the province.
The facility is also projected to create jobs, lower electricity costs, and stimulate economic and community development, particularly benefiting agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and farmers in nearby barangays.
The system will operate for an estimated 20 to 25 years. After this period, the parties involved will review and decide on the possible renewal of the agreement with the Zamboanga del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ZANECO). (Pamela Joyce Fumero)
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