EDC seeks upgrade of Negros geothermal asset

VALENCIA, Negros Oriental — Energy Development Corp. is seeking regulatory approval for a major expansion of its 282.5-megawatt Southern Negros Geothermal Project, a key renewable energy asset that supplies baseload power to the Visayas grid.

EDC, the renewable energy subsidiary of Lopez-led First Gen Corp., is proposing new wells, expanded steam field infrastructure, and a threefold increase in battery storage capacity as part of efforts to sustain the long-running geothermal development.

The company has reportedly earmarked PHP 25 billion for the planned expansion, according to reports on First Gen’s proposed Negros geothermal investment.

Based on documents filed with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, EDC is seeking amendments to the project’s Environmental Compliance Certificate to support upgrades at the Southern Negros Geothermal Project in Valencia, Negros Oriental.

The proposal includes the drilling of eight new production and reinjection wells.

EDC also plans to build two additional well pads, expand steam-gathering pipelines and related facilities, install downhole heat exchanger and trickle injection technologies, and develop a new transmission line.

The company is also proposing to expand the project’s battery energy storage system capacity to 90 megawatt-hours from the existing 30 MWh.

The expanded storage capacity is expected to improve the facility’s ability to support grid operations and renewable energy integration.

According to the filing, the proposed changes are intended to optimize resource utilization, support future expansion, and accommodate evolving energy technologies.

The Southern Negros Geothermal Project currently supplies steam to EDC’s Palinpinon and Nasulo geothermal power plants.

The project generates about 241.8 MW from its authorized 282.5-MW steam field capacity.

Developed in the early 1980s, the geothermal field is among the Philippines’ longest-operating renewable energy assets and remains a major source of baseload power for the Visayas grid.

EDC said its 112.5-MW Palinpinon-1 geothermal facility in Valencia has been operating since 1983 and is located within the Southern Negros Geothermal Project.

The proposed upgrades would expand the project’s operational footprint to about 400 hectares from 151.5 hectares to accommodate the planned facilities.

At the same time, EDC is seeking to refine the overall project boundary to 4,028 hectares from 5,163 hectares.

First Gen continues to position geothermal energy at the center of its renewable energy portfolio.

In its 2025 Integrated Report, the company described geothermal as “a critical source of reliable, indigenous baseload power for the Philippines” and said it had invested approximately PHP 200 billion in geothermal development nationwide as of end-2025.

First Gen said geothermal remains the foundation of its renewable energy platform.

The company operates more than 1,300 MW of geothermal capacity across the country, or more than half of the country’s total output, making it the Philippines’ largest geothermal power producer.

EDC says geothermal is its primary power source and that its geothermal portfolio provides around 61% of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity.

If approved, the project would extend development activities at one of the Philippines’ longest-operating geothermal fields.

It would also add storage capacity and new field infrastructure aimed at supporting long-term renewable energy production in the Visayas.