Solar Philippines to build 1 GW of solar farms

Danessa Rivera (The Philippine Star) - December 10, 2020 - 12:00am
https://www.philstar.com/business/2020/12/10/2062635/solar-philippines-build-1-gw-solar-farms

MANILA, Philippines — Solar Philippines is eyeing to construct over one gigawatt (GW) of solar farms in 2021 on the back of strengthened push for renewable energy in the country.

In a statement, Solar Philippines said it would construct over 1 GW of solar projects in the provinces of Batangas, Cavite, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac.

When asked for the capacity breakdown of the projects in the pipeline, the company declined to provide details per location.

“We will disclose the breakdown at a later date, but can confirm the total for 2021 exceeds 1 GW,” Solar Philippines said in an email.

But based on data from the Department of Energy (DOE), Solar Philippines said these projects would include the first, second, and third largest solar projects in the Philippines as of date.

These projects will nearly double the country’s total installed solar capacity as of 2020, and are equivalent to the power demand of approximately 10 million Filipinos.

By 2022, Solar Philippines expects these projects to become the largest single portfolio of solar projects in Southeast Asia.

While COVID-19 slowed approval of permits in 2020, the company sees a renewable energy-led economic recovery in 2021 especially after the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a moratorium on new coal plants in the Philippines.

The 1 GW of solar projects are planned to create over 20,000 jobs during construction—which will last until 2022, and support government efforts to boost investments in the countryside.

To realize these projects, Solar Philippines is bringing in partners and professionals in line with its new strategic direction.

The company has already brought in partners to its operating solar farms in Calatagan, Batangas and Concepcion, Tarlac, and will use these existing operations to fuel its expansion plans.

In December 2018, Solar Philippines welcomed Korea Electric Power Corp. (Kepco) as a partner in its 63-MW solar farm in Batangas, Kepco’s first renewable energy project in Southeast Asia.

It also partnered with the Razon Group’s Prime Infra last June to develop a pipeline of projects, representing the largest solar joint venture established in the country.

Solar Philippines founder Leandro Leviste predicted these advances will encourage others to join the solar bandwagon.

“Hopefully not a single one of the country’s power companies will not be a fellow believer in solar energy by next year,” he said in a recent interview with ANC.