LAMITAN CITY, Basilanย โ Basilan may soon take a major step away from its decades-long dependence on unreliable diesel power as Lamitan City explores the possibility of hosting a mixed solar-hydrogen power plant that could cut electricity costs by half.
Lamitan City Mayor Roderick H. Furigay met on Wednesday, December 3, with representatives of French hydrogen developer HDF Energy and clean-energy firm REurasia to discuss the proposal for a 10-megawatt (MW) hybrid facility.
The team โ Kent and Dawn Rebollo of HDF, and Carla Abesamis and Bruce Kisma of REurasia โ is assessing whether Basilan can host a solar farm covering 80 to 100 hectares, paired with HDFโs โRenewstableโ power plant that turns water into fuel. The system is designed to replace diesel generators that have long powered the provinceโs fragile grid.
Furigay called the initiative a โgame-changer,โ saying the island has suffered for years from intermittent electricity and soaring power costs.
Project proponents told city officials that the hybrid solar-hydrogen plant could slash energy prices by up to 50%, while delivering 24/7 baseload power โ a significant departure from the islandโs reliance on expensive, fuel-dependent generators.
โRenewstableโ plants integrate intermittent sources like solar or wind and convert hydrogen into power when sunlight is unavailable. Several places in some parts of Mindanao already pushed the model.
If the plan pushes through, it would mark one of Basilanโs most ambitious attempts to stabilize its energy supply โ a move local consumers say is long overdue.
Feasibility studies are ongoing, but local leaders are already framing the project as a potential catalyst for economic activity and better quality of life in a province where power instability often cripples businesses, schools, and health services.
HDF has signed similar cooperation agreements in Zamboanga Sibugay, Surigao del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Zamboanga City, part of its push to expand green hydrogen infrastructure in Mindanao.
HDF Energy, based in France, specializes in large-scale green hydrogen projects and high-power fuel cell systems.
–with reports from Nonoy Lacson
Photo Courtesy: Acciona
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