By U.S. News Agency / Asian

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog on Wednesday presented a certificate of no objection to the Asia Pacific Communications Associates (APCA) Global Inc., which is eyeing this city as host of its first solar farm in the Philippines.

“This is one of the most important things that is going to happen to the city of Iloilo because we have been improving from diesel then we go to coal. In coal, there is still some opposition but, at least, there is a more or less positive assurance that we will have 25 megawatts of power more,” Mabilog said.

The certificate was received by Nikesh Sinha, the managing director of the company which is based in New Delhi, India.

Sinha said that they have looked at seven potential sites in Iloilo adding that they prefer that the “investment will remain as much as possible within the city.”

The company will be investing around US $ 100 million for the project that will operate 10 megawatt by June 2012 and an additional 15 megawatts a year thereafter.

Sinha said the solar project is their introduction to Iloilo City and they will surely expand or look at other areas of business to generate jobs.

He said that Iloilo City’s hosting of the solar farm means that it is meeting its renewable power obligation under the Kyoto Protocol apart from being able to trade it to other cities.

“This is the cleanest power obligation as far as Kyoto Protocol is concerned,” he said.

The APCA has an existing farm in Europe while another one is being constructed in India. They also look forward to invest in Mauritius.

Mabilog said that he has set a meeting with the city’s power distributor, the Panay Electric Company (PECO), to assure them that they will also have a market.

“This is one assurance that has been given to them that PECO is going to get power from them,” he said.