WeGen’s project for the San Andres Aqua Culture Corporation (SANACOR) 2 is on the way!
The Sanacor 2 Project is a 704kWp Ground Mounted Solar grid-tied system we are building in Alabel, Sarangani Province, South Cotabato. Installation began on June 5, 2020, and the target completion date is August, but installation of the solar panel and solar mounting system has already been completed. Installation work for the electrical system is ongoing.
Based on the technical report submitted by the team handling the project, the estimated power generation for the next 25 years is 22,061,853.99 kWh.
This is a big solar project that aims to power to the whole farm of SANACOR 2, including its offices and storage facilities. Solar energy will now provide the power to drive Sanacor’s closed-system aerators and pumps.
Based on latest available reports, Sanacor is of the biggest aquaculture companies in Mindanao and in the rest of the Philippines. It is also one of the biggest companies making efforts to implement sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices.
“SANACOR has heavy electricity usage because the shrimp farms have to be aerated. If there is loss of oxygen, the shrimp will die and we are talking of minutes. SANACOR recognized that using solar energy will both reduce their electricity expenses while contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions for an energy extensive industry,” said WeGen Vice-President for Strategic Relations Charlie Ayco who’s among those leading the project implementation.
A Growing Industry
The industry of aquaculture production is said to be growing by an average of 10 percent annually (based on 2015 estimates), from 1.1 million metric tons, valued at P32.1 billion in 2000 to 1.34 million metric tons valued at P35.4 billion in 2002. Among the major products of local companies are milkfish, tilapia, and shrimps/prawns, but the industry continues to conduct research and development actions to expand the varieties so that more products can be marketed overseas to cater to the international demand.
The massive growth potential of the aquaculture industry is prompting Mindanao producers to implement strategies that will ensure the sustainability and productivity of the sector, and among the more important factors contributing to ensuring sustainability is the use of environmentally-sound fishing practices.
Mindanao is the Philippines’ leading aquaculture producer with a 44 percent share of the total national output in 2014. Sarangani alone has 150 small and large companies engaged in aquaculture with an investment of around P1 billion. Sanacor is among these companies, and collectively, they all produce an average of 10,000 metric tons annually of bangus, sergeant fish, pompano, trevally, sea bass, shrimps and other high-value fish. The sector itself employs over 2,000 fisherfolk and workers in the province.
Decreasing food production’s carbon printing
Increasing awareness of dwindling marine resources and the international recognition of the need for sustainable fishing practices are spurring the growth the aquaculture industry. It is now easy to see how climate change also poses potentially serious threats against the said industry, and this is a reason why it’s important that companies like Sanacor are working to reduce the carbon footprint of the industry by going solar.
The latest Climate Change and Land report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that food production and land use contribute to the climate crisis. Because of this, it’s important to pay attention to how big the carbon footprint the food being produced – the food we eat – is leaving.
Compared to other industrial meat production, aquaculture already has a relatively small carbon footprint. Sanacor, with the help of WeGen’s solar PV system, will reduce that footprint further. #