Cagayan Freeport – To address the long-term power supply problem here, the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) continues to develop a resilient and reliable power supply system, specifically at its main port, the Port Irene in Barangay Casambalangan in Santa Ana, Cagayan.

Secretary Raul Lambino, CEZA Administrator and CEO said the agency aims to bring uninterrupted and more affordable electricity to the Zone which would greatly benefit locators.

The CEZA chief noted the 100-kilometer distance of the Cagayan Freeport from the nearest distribution line of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) in Cagayan Province as one of the reasons for the poor quality, costly, and insufficient power supply in the Cagayan Freeport Zone.

Currently, the power supply is sourced from coal-fired power plants in Bataan, and diesel-fed generators of the National Power Corporation under the Small Power Utilities Group program. The electricity is transmitted through NGCP transmission lines and distributed by Cagayan Electric Cooperative II to Cagayan Freeport and the other 21 municipalities in Cagayan.

“Given the electricity demand of our locators, a strategic and sustainable approach is currently being planned by CEZA. For instance, mixing coal, bunker fuel, diesel fuel, solar power, and wind energy will create a portfolio for power generation in Freeport. It is something that every economic zone like CEZA seeks to have — a cleaner and more sustainable power plant bunker/biomass that will serve as a guide to future growth and development within the Zone,” Secretary Lambino said. (with inputs from MICHELLE AGABIN- Acting Head of the Investment Promotion Division and LIZ LAGNITON- CEZA Writer)