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Hybrid Solar Power Plants to Light Up Seaweed Farming Communities in Tawi-Tawi

Date Published
March 27, 2024

MinDA Secretary Maria Belen S. Acosta (fifth from left) and EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron (seventh from left) join other officials in launching Mindanao's first solar hybrid power plant. Photo credit: Courtesy of the Mindanao Development Authority.

The coastal municipalities of Sibutu and Sitangkai in Tawi-Tawi are set to have access to electricity 24/7 with the launch of hybrid solar power plants seen directly benefiting about 15,000 seaweed farmers.

The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the European Union (EU), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) launched the two power plants early this month.

The power plants are part of the Renewable Energy Technologyr for Seaweeds Value-Added (RETS) project, MinDa said in a news release. The project is a partnership between MinDA, the EU, UNIDO, and local actors such as the Provincial Local Government of Tawi-Tawi; the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform-BARMM; Mindanao State University Tawi-Tawi College of Technology and Oceanography; the Tawi-Tawi Electric Cooperative; and the Association of Island Electric Cooperatives-Island Light and Water Development Corporation.

Of the total project investment of over 225.5 million pesos ($4 million), P168.5 million was provided by the EU.

The plant in Sitangkai has a capacity of 1 megawatt (MW), while the plant in Sibutu has a capacity of 0.65 MW. 

The project integrates efforts to improve livelihoods by enhancing the quality and value of seaweeds produced by the communities.



“By providing seaweed-producing communities access to a reliable and clean source of energy, they are empowered to engage in value-adding activities that can increase their earning capacity and their ability to take advantage of the economic opportunities under BIMP-EAGA,” said UNIDO Philippine Country Representative Teddy Monroy. “International markets will likewise open up for the more sophisticated and diverse products they will now be able to manufacture and produce.”

MinDA Secretary Maria Belen S. Acosta noted the project's sustainability. “When we provide more income-generating activities, we are also improving the households’ ability to pay for the energy service, which contributes to the sustainability of the project,” she said.

“The EU delegation has long been MinDA’s partner for peace and development. We are grateful to have the same support from them in our pursuit of a balanced and sustainable energy mix for Mindanao, especially in the off-grid communities,” she added.



EU Ambassador to the Philippines Luc Véron said the EU is proud to support the household electrification goals of the Philippine government, and for ultimately contributing to the country’s sustainable socio-economic development and reduction of poverty.



RETS is a demonstration of the current administration's push to link renewable energy with the agriculture value chain. The collaboration also underpins MinDA's strategies to spur development in BARMM.

RETS is funded by EU under its Access to Sustainable Energy Program (ASEP), which promotes the use of renewable energy. With a total investment of $71.3 million for 2016 to 2022, ASEP supports rural electrification in off-grid, remote areas through the use of solar or hydropower. ASEP’s main partner institutions are the Department of Energy, the Energy Regulatory Commission, the National Electrification Administration, the Climate Change Commission, as well as civil society organizations. The bulk of ASEP funding is concentrated in Mindanao.