10 ENERGY RESOURCES

IN THE PHILIPPINES

SOLAR
WIND
HYDROELECTRIC
BIOMASS
GEOTHERMAL
TIDAL
COAL
OIL
NATURAL GAS
NUCLEAR
NATHALIE SHANE M. SERRANO
11 STEM NEWTON
 SOLAR POWER
Solar power is the conversion of solar energy into
thermal or electrical energy. Solar energy systems
do not emit pollutants or greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere, and as long as they are properly sited.

A sea of solar panels in a 160-hectare

Calatagan, Batangas farm in the foot of Mount San Piro in
Batangas province.
Instead of growing crops like rice or
corn, this vast farm harvests heat
from the sun and generates enough
energy to power the whole of
western Batangas.
With over three decades of operation,
Calatagan Solar Farm is expected to
offset over 1 million tons of carbon
dioxide, equivalent to planting over 5
million trees. Now that this farm has
been switched on, it is expected to
continue to employ at least 100 people
and boost the economy of Batangas.

ADVANTAGES
Solar farms use a reliable, clean energy source. The simple fact of
the matter is that the sun is not going anywhere in the foreseeable
future. However, the same cannot be said for energy sources such
as fossil fuels and coal.
Solar farms do not cause pollution. While there are some emissions
associated with the construction of a solar farm, they equate to
nearly nothing in comparison to most conventional energy
sources.
 WIND POWER
Wind turbines use propeller-like blades that rotate around a
rotor to convert wind energy to electricity. The rotor rotates
the drive shaft, which in turn rotates an electric generator.

Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte The project represents AC Energy’s

third wind power development in the
province of Ilocos Norte. The other
two projects include the NorthWind
wind farm in Bangui and the North
Luzon Renewables wind farm in
Pagudpud.
The Balaoi & Caunayan wind farm will
be the largest in the Philippines. This
Project will become a low-cost
renewable energy producer for the
Philippines. It is expected to support
inclusive and sustainable economic
growth in Ilocos Norte by creating job
opportunities, which will help the
local community.

ADVANTAGES
Wind energy is completely renewable and will never run out. In
opposition to traditional fossil fuels resources that replenish very
slowly, wind naturally occurs in our atmosphere, and we don’t have to
worry about supply issues in the future.
It's sustainable. Wind is actually a form of solar energy. Winds are
caused by the heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the rotation of the
Earth, and the Earth's surface irregularities. For as long as the sun
shines and the wind blows, the energy produced can be harnessed to
send power across the grid.
HYROELECTRIC POWER
Most hydroelectric power plants have a reservoir of water, as well
as a gate or valve to control how much water flows out of the
reservoir. Water gains potential energy just before spilling over
the top of a dam or flowing down a hill. As water flows downhill,
potential energy is converted to kinetic energy. The water can be
used to turn the turbine blades, generating electricity.

Ramon, Isabela Magat Dam is a large rock-fill dam in

the island of Luzon in the Philippines.
It is a multi-purpose dam which is
used primarily for irrigating about
85,000 hectares. It was Southeast
Asia's first large multipurpose dam.
The Magat hydroelectric power plant
is a four-unit powerhouse with an
installed capacity of 360 megawatts.
It is designed to accommodate two
more units that will allow it to
generate up to 540 megawatts. The
hydroelectric plant is a peaking power
plant, which means that it only
operates when there is a high demand
for electricity in the Luzon power grid,
to which the plant is connected

ADVANTAGES

Hydropower is, by far, the most reliable renewable energy

available in the world. Unlike when the sun goes down or when
the wind dies down, water usually has a constant and steady flow
24/7.
The creation of hydroelectricity does not release emissions into
the atmosphere. This is, of course, the biggest appeal of any
renewable energy source.
 BIOMASS
Biomass is organic material that comes from plants and animals,
and includes crops, waste wood, and trees. When biomass is
burned, the chemical energy is released as heat, which can then be
used to generate electricity using a steam turbine.

San Carlos, Negros Occidental

San Carlos BioPower is a biomass-
fired power station under
construction in San Carlos, Negros
Occidental in the Philippines. It is
among the biggest biomass power
stations in the Philippines and has a
generating capacity of 20 megawatts,
enough electricity to provide 212,000
people in the region’s urban centres
and rural areas on the island of
Negros

ADVANTAGES
Less garbage in landfills.By burning solid waste, the amount of garbage dumped
in landfills is reduced by 60 to 90 percent, and reduces the cost of landfill disposal
and amount of land required for landfill.
Biomass is always and widely available as a renewable source of energy is less
expensive than fossil fuels.
While fossil fuel production requires a heavy outlay of capital, such as oil drills,
gas pipelines and fuel collection, biomass technology is much cheaper.
Manufacturers and producers are able to generate higher profits from a lower
output.
 GEOTHERMAL
Geothermal energy is a type of renewable energy taken from the
Earth’s core. It comes from heat generated during the original
formation of the planet and the radioactive decay of materials.
This thermal energy is stored in rocks and fluids in the centre of
the earth.

Valencia, Negros Oriental

the Southern Negros
Geothermal Production Field,
which operates the 192.5 MW
Palipinon I and II geothermal
power plants is expected to
boost the demand for power
supply in the Visayas region

ADVANTAGES
Geothermal energy is a source of renewable energy that will last until the
Earth is destroyed by the sun in around 5 billion years. The hot reservoirs
within the Earth are naturally replenished, making it both renewable and
sustainable.
Geothermal energy is more environmentally friendly than conventional fuel
sources such as coal and other fossil fuels. In addition, the carbon footprint of
a geothermal power plant is low. While there is some pollution associated
with geothermal energy, this is relatively minimal when compared to fossil
fuels.
 TIDAL
Tidal power, also known as tidal energy, it is obtained by
converting energy from tides into useful forms of power, primarily
electricity, through a variety of methods. Although it is not
currently widely used, tidal energy has the potential to be used in
the generation of electricity in the future.

There's no tidal power here in the

Philippines but one article says that the
renewable energy subsidiary of Philippine
National Oil Co. has entered into a deal with
Filipino and French partner firms to build the
country’s first tidal energy power plant, a
project meant to harness the powerful flow
of water along the Philippines coastlines.

ADVANTAGES
A predictable energy source. Because tidal patterns are consistent and well
understood, they are easily trackable, which provides the opportunity to plan
long term. It’s also an attractive resource for electrical grid management, as
there wouldn’t be a need for any back-up plants.
Maintains efficiency. Water carries a much higher density than air, so very
little energy gets wasted. Moreover, electricity is easier to produce with high
density, so you are able to produce a lot of energy with minimal movement
and speed.
 COAL
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock
with a high amount of carbon and hydrocarbons. Coal is primarily
used as a fuel in coal-fired power plants to generate electricity.
The heat generated by coal combustion is used to convert water
into high-pressure steam, which drives a turbine and generates
electricity.

Philippines consumes more coal than it

can produce and coal is the main source
of electricity. Semirara Mining
Corporation is the largest coal producer
in the country whose primary mine is in
Semirara Island. The company accounts
for 92% of the country's coal production
according to the Department of Energy.

ADVANTAGES
Affordability. Energy produced from coal fired plants is cheaper and more
affordable than other energy sources. Since coal is abundant, it is definitely
cheap to produce power using this fuel. Moreover, it is not expensive to
extract and mine from coal deposits.
Abundance. There are approximately over 300 years of economic coal
deposits still accessible. With this great amount of coal available for use, coal
fired plants can be continuously fueled in many years to come.
 OIL
Oil energy is a non-renewable source of energy. It is a fossil
fuel, other fossil fuels are coal and natural gas. These
petroleum products are used to propel vehicles, power
automobiles, heat buildings, and generate electricity.

The Philippines has only

two active petroleum
fields: Galoc, an offshore
field in the Northwest
Palawan Basin, and Alegria,
an onshore field in the
Province of Cebu.

ADVANTAGES
Is an Inexpensive Source of Energy Due to Large Reserves and Good Accessibility
Oil is available today in all the countries of the planet, which means that is a very
accessible resource for all of us.
Is a Fossil Fuel with High Energy Density
Among all the other fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, oil has both high
specific energy and high energy density.
Oil-fired Power Stations are Efficient
Large amounts of electricity can be produced by burning oil to generate steam
that will spin the large turbines, which are connected to generators.
 NATURAL GAS
Natural gas is a fossil fuel that forms deep beneath the earth's
surface. Natural gas contains a wide range of compounds.
Methane is the most abundant component of natural gas. Natural
gas is more environmentally friendly than other fossil fuels
because it burns cleaner. When compared to other fossil fuels, it is
safer and easier to store. Natural gas is extremely dependable,
unlike electric power, which can be disrupted during a storm.

According to the Oil & Gas Journal,

the Philippines holds 3.5 trillion cubic
feet of proved natural gas reserves.
The Philippines consumes all of the
natural gas produced domestically.

ADVANTAGES

Natural gas is abundant and a major source of energy

Natural gas produces less overall pollution
Natural gas is the most environmentally friendly fossil fuel
because it burns cleaner
Natural gas is extremely reliable
 NUCLEAR
Nuclear energy is a zero-emissions source of clean energy. It
generates energy by fission, which is the process of splitting
uranium atoms to create energy. The heat produced by fission is
used to generate steam which spins a turbine to produce
electricity. It also keeps the air clean by removing thousands of
tons of harmful air pollutants each year that contribute to acid
rain, smog, lung cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Morong, Bataan

The Bataan Nuclear Power Plant

is a nuclear power plant,
completed but never fueled, on
the Bataan Peninsula.

ADVANTAGES

Reliable Source of Energy, while some energy sources are dependent

upon weather conditions, like solar and wind power, nuclear energy
has no such constraints. It doesn’t matter if the wind isn’t blowing or if
the day is cloudy
It Has High Energy Density, nuclear fission releases much greater
amounts of energy than simply burning fossil fuels like gas, oil, or coal.