Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Second from left) attends the energization ceremony of Citicore Solar (CS) Batangas 1. (Photo: CREC)
Philippine renewable energy developer Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation (CREC) has inaugurated the country’s first baseload solar power plant, Citicore Solar (CS) Batangas 1, featuring a 197 MWp solar facility paired with a 320 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). The project is expected to power 158,000 households annually and cut carbon emissions by 265,000 tons.
Solar-plus-storage plant becomes Philippines’ first baseload solar facility
CS Batangas 1, located in Barangays Lumbangan and Luntal in Tuy, Batangas, with a solar power plant and a BESS. This allows the solar facility to store and dispatch needed energy beyond the normal hours of solar (6 am to 5 pm), gaining the ability to provide a baseload level of power.
“Our Citicore Solar Batangas 1 is the first in the Philippines to prove that solar can be true baseload power. This is a huge step forward in the country’s renewable energy transition. With 1.5 GWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems in place, we are prepared to replicate this breakthrough starting in Batangas,” said CREC President and CEO Oliver Tan.
“This continuous innovation demonstrates not only our expertise in solar but also our commitment to hitting our 1 gigawatt target by Q1 2026. Soon, our country will no longer have to rely on unclean energy and the uncertainties of fuel importation. Instead, we will be powered by homegrown, reliable, and pure renewable energy—bringing us closer to our vision of Powering a First-World Philippines with Pure Renewable Energy,” he added.
11 new plants set to deliver 1 GW of clean power by year-end
Projects completing CREC’s 1GW are 11 facilities located in Pangasinan, Pampanga, Batangas, Quezon, and Negros Occidental. Three of the facilities in Batangas will also be host to BESS totaling 760 MWh. The said projects are on track for energization by the end of 2025, reducing close to 2.8 billion tons of carbon emissions and generating enough electricity to power approximately 800,000 homes yearly once all sites are energized.
“We always value our strong partnership with government – a collaboration we’ve consistently demonstrated from Megawide to Citicore. With our experience and expertise in engineering, construction, and innovation, we are poised to complete our projects on time, with quality, and at a lower cost,” mentioned CREC Chairman Edgar Saavedra.
Nine of the eleven projects have secured a 20-year offtake with the Philippine government through the Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP)-2. All 11 projects are also Certified as Energy Projects of National Significance (CEPNS) by the DOE, while 10 projects have Green Lane Certifications from the Bureau of Investments (BOI).
With its first gigawatt for completion by the end of the year, CREC targets to start the construction of the second GW of renewable energy, including solar, IRES, and onshore wind.
Integrating with communities to help local farmers harness solar energy
CREC sees the local government and its host communities as partners from construction to plant operations. Through the Citicore Foundation, CREC is able to implement projects that promote education, capacity development, and environmental stewardship.
Particularly, Citicore’s AgroSolar Initiative will be initiated in all CREC’s completed projects. The program, started in 2021, makes dual use of solar land for agricultural crop production and solar generation. Farmers from the local community are employed by Citicore for their knowledge and expertise on local soil conditions, while the company will shoulder planning and expenses related to seeds and equipment, and securing offtake for the crops.
Part of the proceeds from the AgroSolar Initiative are given to the farmers, augmenting their income, while the rest are fully re-invested towards new seeds and the further development of the program.
Other programs of the Citicore Foundation are its yearly Brigada and Balik Eskwela, Usbong Scholarships, Training 2 Employment program, Pailaw Solar Street Lighting, EcoShed solar upcycling, and Communitree Tree Planting activities.
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