By Danessa Rivera (The
Philippine Star) | Updated August 4, 2016 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines – Manila
Electric Co. (Meralco) is looking at a possible partnership with Solar
Philippines of young entrepreneur Leandro Leviste.
The power company is keen on a
partnership in “some solar farms in Tarlac,” Meralco chairman Manuel Pangilinan
said in an interview with reporters after the Financial Times-First Metro
Philippines Investment Summit in Makati City Tuesday.
He said the solar power plant has a
capacity of 135 megawatts (MW) but did not disclose the identity of the
possible local partner.
Sought for further comment, Meralco
SVP and head for customer retail services and corporate communications Alfredo
Panlilio said in a text message the power distributor is under negotiations
with a number of solar developers for power supply deals, which includes Solar
Philippines.
“We are in discussions with several
solar entities for (power supply agreements) PSAs including Solar Philippines.
This is a normal process for us with our Energy Sourcing Group,” he said.
Solar Philippines declined to
comment on the matter.
Solar Philippines is developing a
135-MW solar farm in Tarlac, which will be the first plant to use
Philippine-made solar panels by the same company, its founder and president
Leandro Leviste said earlier.
In June, the solar developer
announced plans to put up a $1-billion solar factory in Tanauan, Batangas in
the next three years, with the first $100-million manufacturing line to start
operating by December.
Leviste said the capacity of the
Tarlac solar plant was raised to 150 MW as it will have a battery energy
storage to compete as a baseload plant.
He said the solar farm will be “the
biggest in the country but more importantly, the largest unsubsidized solar in
the world and the largest with batteries.” It is eyed for completion in the
first quarter of 2017.
For Meralco, the company is
targeting to build a portfolio of up to 100 MW from solar rooftops, of which 20
MW is being looked at in the first year of operations of subsidiary Spectrum,
Panlilio said earlier.
The Meralco group is also looking to
have a portfolio of utility scale solar projects with an initial capacity of 50
MW soon, its president Oscar Reyes had said.
The entry into renewables,
particularly solar, will balance Meralco’s investments in generating plants
totalling 3,000-MW coal-fired power facilities under Meralco PowerGen Corp.
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