Abstract
San Bernardino Strait is a passage located in the Eastern Visayas, Philippines, well-known for the strength of its marine currents. H&WB and SABELLA aim to develop the Philippines’ and the ASEAN region’s first commercial ocean power plant deploying tidal in-stream turbines, harnessing the energy of marine currents in San Bernardino Strait. The turbines will be connected to the electrical network of Capul, an off-grid island currently relying on a 750 kW diesel power plant. The first stage of the project consists in a 1.5 MW power plant featuring three SABELLA marine current turbine with a 20m rotor diameter, coupled with energy storage, as a reliable, sustainable and cost-competitive alternative to the fossil-based power generation. This pilot tidal power plant will be commissioned in 2021 for a 25-year operational lifetime.