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Solar Philippines said it is on track to build more than 1 gigawatt (GW) of solar projects in 2021 in Batangas, Cavite, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac provinces.
According to data from the Department of Energy (DOE), these Solar Philippines projects would include the first, second and third largest solar projects in the Philippines to date. These projects will almost double the country’s total installed solar capacity from 2020 and are equivalent to the energy 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 permit approval in 2020, the company said it expects a renewable energy-driven economic recovery in 2021, fueled by the DOE’s moratorium on new coal plants in the Philippines.
“The 1 GW solar projects are planned to create more than 20,000 jobs during construction, which will last until 2022, and will support government efforts to boost investments in the field,” the company said in a statement.
To make these projects a reality, the company said it is bringing in partners and professionals in line with its new strategic direction.
The company has already added partners to its operating solar parks in Calatagan, Batangas and Concepción, Tarlac, and will use these existing operations to drive its expansion plans.
During a television interview last week, Solar Philippines founder Leandro Leviste predicted that these advancements will encourage others to join the solar power train, adding that “hopefully, none of the country’s power companies will not be a believer in solar energy next year. “
The company has increasingly focused on forging partnerships in recent years.
In December 2018, it partnered with Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) for its 63 megawatt (MW) solar farm in Batangas. This is KEPCO’s first renewable energy project in Southeast Asia.
In June, Solar Philippines signed a partnership with Razon Group’s Prime Infra to develop a portfolio of projects, which represents the largest solar power joint venture established in the country. This includes completing the 200 MW Tarlac solar farm, the largest solar project in the country to date.
According to the DOE website, Solar Philippines is developing projects with a total capacity of more than 10 gigawatts in more than a dozen provinces. The company has indicated that it will make further disclosures about these developments at an appropriate time.
