The province of Negros Occidental will soon have an additional 69-megawatt solar power plant located in Barangay Esutaquio Lopez, Silay City.
Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. (CREC) held the groundbreaking ceremony of Phase 2 of its solar plants on Tuesday, February 20, that will sit in a 69-hectare property of the Ramos family which is covered by a 25-year lease agreement.
The power plant, named Citicore Solar Negros Occidental 2, has a future expansion plan to a total gross installed capacity of 100 MW.
Commercial operation is expected by 2024, as part of CREC'S deliverables for the government's Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP) 2, its president and chief executive officer, Oliver Tan, said.
For the Phase 2 project, the company will infuse about P3 billion while in Phase 1, their investment is worth P5 billion, Tan said.
The construction phase will generate 500 to 700 jobs for the residents of Silay City and other neighboring areas.
Tan further said that the company plans to install batteries so they can deliver power not only during the daytime but also during night time as well.
"This is going to be the first solar photovoltaic (PV) plus battery in Negros,” he said.
Just as the Philippines is seen as a "bright spot" in Southeast Asia for renewable energy (RE), Tan believes Negros Occidental can further develop with the entry of more renewable energy projects - not only addressing urgent environmental concerns, but also bringing substantial socio-economic gains while enhancing energy access, security, and self-sufficiency.
"We support Negros Occidental, its steps towards the renewable energy transition. With the completion of this project, we will not only be able to augment the power generation needs of Negros Occidental and the Visayas grid but also contribute to the growth of the province," said Tan.
He also revealed that the company is also studying the possibility of putting up an additional plan for Phase 3 which may also be located in Silay City after the completion of Phase 2.
"Solar is definitely cheaper than coal and natural gas. It's one of the cheapest," Tan said
He also said that they are planning to bring here an Agro solar plant like one of their plants in Luzon, where some farmers are allowed to plant root crops under the solar panel.
"In fact, we have already harvested turmeric, pechay, eggplants, and other vegetables," he added.
The company's first plant in the province, Citicore Solar Negros Occidental, was commissioned in 2016 and has an installed capacity of 25MW peak. Upon completion of the project, CREC's facilities in the province will have a combined installed generation capacity of 94MWp.
Citicore Solar Negros Occidental 2 is part of CREC's projects in the company pipeline.
It is also part of the 792MW worth of renewable energy capacities awarded to the company during the government's 2023 Green Energy Auction Program.
"With more projects in the pipeline, CREC is committed to working with the DOE and local governments as we transition to more renewable sources of energy for the Visayas and our country," CREC chairman Edgar Saavedra said.
CREC is a leading pure-play renewable energy company committed to the development and operation of solar, hydro and wind projects in the Philippines. CREC, directly and through its subsidiaries and joint venture, manages a diversified portfolio of renewable energy generation projects, engages in power project development operations, and participates in retail electricity supply. CREC is also the sponsor of the Philippine's first renewable energy REIT, Citicore Energy REIT (CREIT).
Meanwhile, Silay City Mayor Joedith Gallego said they discussed the plans to energize the future new city hall with solar power from Citicore's solar farms.*