STARTING this month Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway’s (CCLEX) day-to-day operation will be powered by its own solar farm.
Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corp. (CCLEC) announced Friday, March 31, 2023, that it already completed its P60 million on-grid and hybrid solar farm that is expected to generate at least 50,400 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy per month.
The completion of the on-grid and hybrid solar farm is anticipated to bring in substantial cost savings in CCLEX power consumption.
CCLEC’s investment in renewable energy forms part of the company’s more than P150 million investment in sustainable projects and initiatives.
The solar farm will supply the expressway’s daytime power requirement for roadway lights, traffic control room, closed-circuit television cameras, road weather information system, variable message signs, and toll plaza.
“The completion of our solar farm is a significant milestone in our drive towards being more sustainable in our operations by reducing our carbon footprint and promote the use of clean, renewable energy,” said CCLEC president and general manager Allan Alfon in a statement.
The solar farm is expected to gain carbon emission savings of 237,082 kilograms or the equivalent of 7,076 trees planted.
CCLEC has installed a total of 862 photovoltaic panels strategically located in three different areas inside the expressway—toll plaza, the toll operations center building, and a vacant area by the causeway occupying 3,500 square meters.
“Setting aside a significant area for this project is staying true to our mission of bringing good life to people, not only through our infrastructure developments but also through sustainable practices,” added Alfon.
CCLEX is the province’s third bridge that connects the town of Cordova, Mactan to Cebu City and the south of Cebu through the South Road Properties.
Other sustainability initiatives
Aside from the solar farm, CCLEC has installed 13 oil interceptors along the expressway, a P60.7 million investment to prevent contaminants from polluting the sea.
These interceptors collect vehicle grease and oil that spilled on the road and are washed away by rain. The slope of CCLEX helps rainwater run-offs to flow directly to these oil interceptors, which separate oily waste from the water before the latter is discharged to the sea.
CCLEX also has a sewage treatment plant, which cost P9.6 million, that uses a hybrid moving bed biofilm reactor and membrane bioreactor, an advanced and efficient system for treating sewage. It has a treatment capacity of 65 cubic meters per day.
Wastewater treatment helps protect people and the environment from harmful elements found in effluents before these are discharged into the sea.
Moreover, CCLEX has also put up a 235-meter noise barrier to protect the nearby Cordova orphanage and help reduce traffic noise for the benefit of the children being cared for and studying inside the institution.
The P20 million noise barrier was incorporated in CCLEX upon the request of and in consultation with the management of Children’s Haven of Albert Schweitzer Familienwerk Foundation Philippines Inc.
CCLEC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, the toll road arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., a publicly-listed infrastructure holding company and a member of the MVP Group of Companies.