TeaM Energy Explores RE Sites

Japanese joint venture firm TeaM Energy has been exploring at least 10 areas in Luzon and Visayas for

prospective renewable energy projects.

In a briefing with reporters, TeaM Energy president Federico E. Puno noted that his company’s interests are generally focused

on hydro, biomass and geothermal energy developments.

The sites it has been evaluating for prospective RE projects include those for mini-hydro in San Juan, La Union;

Tabuk-Kalinga; Tuba-Benguet; and Mountain Province.

The larger-scale hydro targets are in Tuba, Benguet’s site at the tailings pond of Philex Mining Corporation. Incidentally,

the company is currently a capacity off-taker (buyer) of TeaM Energy’s excess capacity in the Sual plant. The rest of the

hydro prospects are in various sites in Luzon and Visayas.

Geothermal developments, according to the company chief executive, are eyed for the sites being evaluated in Mountain

Province and Mount Natib in Bataan Daclan, also in Benguet province.

The company has listed two biomass sites being studied in Unisan, Quezon and San Ildefonso, Bulacan.

Puno noted that they are currently “awaiting feasibility study from proponent” for the Quezon prospect; while a meeting with

another interested party is being scheduled for the Bulacan target.

“There were areas that we’ve already looked at, but we have already abandoned some of them because the potential had not been

viable for development,” the TeaM Energy chief executive stressed.

For the hydro developments, some areas are currently the subject of feasibility studies; while others are already at the

process of awarding turnkey contracts leading to the actual construction of the projects.

TeaM Energy is among those expressing interests to join the bandwagon of RE investments; but it is one which would be willing

to bet on these projects even without the support of feed-in-tariffs.

The company noted that it can work on cornering its own market for such developments as long as the other hurdles, such as

the sustainability of fuel for biomass projects, can be sufficiently addressed.