A PRIVATE company has built wind masts in several towns of western Pangasinan in connection with its desire to build wind farms that could harness wind as a source of energy.
The UPC Asia has built wind masts in the towns of Mangatarem, Infanta, Labrador and Mabini in order to record wind velocity as part of its two-year research on whether or not it is feasible to build wind farms in these towns.
Leduina Co, provincial environment and natural resources officer of Pangasinan, said UPC Asia, represented by its Philippine Coordinator Samuel Abad, former forester of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), seeks to build windmills in Pangasinan, similar to those now operating in Bangui, Ilocos Norte.
Co said the company signed lease agreements with DENR over the areas occupied by the wind masts since these are all forest areas.
If wind strength in these areas could meet the standard, UPC Asia will build windmills which are comparable with the existing windmills in Bangui, Ilocos Norte owned by Northwind Inc., operator of the first windmill farm in the country.
Another wind farm is set to be built sometime in late next year in Pagudpod, Ilocos Norte by a British company, following the success of the initial wind farm in Bangui.
Co said if the research would confirm it is feasible to construct wind farms in Pangasinan, the company will invest multi-million pesos in building its own wind farm that can supply electricity for the homes and factories.
This would be a boon to the country aside from the fact that wind energy is more environmental- friendly than the existing energy being sourced out from coal-fired plants, she said.
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