Solar energy firm invests P3B for second power plant in Negros

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. (CREC) is investing approximately P3 billion in another solar power plant with a 69-megawatt peak (MWp) capacity in Brgy. E. Lopez.

This comes over eight years after its 25-megawatt solar power plant became operational in 2016 in Brgy. Rizal, also in Silay City.

CREC Chairman Edgar Saavedra and Chief Operating Officer Oliver Tan led the ceremonial groundbreaking for its new power plant in Brgy. E. Lopez, Silay City, on Tuesday.

They were joined by Mayor Joedith Gallego and Board Member Manuel Frederick Ko, who chairs the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Energy and representative of Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson.

Upon completion of the Citicore Solar Negros Occidental’s second project by year-end or early 2025, Tan said CREC’s facilities in Negros Occidental will have a combined installed generation capacity of 94MWp.

Tan told reporters that CREC’s new project will employ 500 to 700 workers, sourced locally, during its construction phase.

“We will not only provide employment to the locals; we will also purchase our needed materials locally,” he said, highlighting their contribution to invigorating the local economy.

This solar power plant will stand out from the rest, Tan emphasized.

He disclosed plans to install a battery system to deliver power not only during daytime but also at night.

Furthermore, Tan mentioned that CREC aims to supply power to the soon-to-be-constructed new City Hall of Silay City, adjacent to the solar farm, to reduce their electricity costs.

Tan also announced the expansion of its AgroSolar initiative to the new solar farm project in Silay City.

The AgroSolar initiative combines solar power generation with crop farming to address food security while generating renewable energy to meet power demands, he explained.

With this initiative, Citicore aims to disprove the myth that agriculture and solar plants are incompatible, Tan emphasized.

Under the solar panels, Tan said they would enable farmers to cultivate root crops, preserving the land’s agricultural purpose.

As the Philippines is recognized as a “bright spot” in Southeast Asia for renewable energy, Tan expressed his belief that Negros Occidental could continue to progress with the introduction of more renewable energy projects. These projects are crucial not just for addressing environmental issues but also for providing significant socio-economic benefits and enhancing energy access, security, and self-sufficiency.

Mayor Gallego praised the expansion of Citicore’s solar power farm project in Silay City, noting its potential to further boost the local economy.

In addition to the Silay City location, CREC operates solar farms across the country, with a total output of 1000 MWp of solar power, Tan added.