P200 billion PH solar facility breaks ground in Nueva Ecija

MULTIBILLION-PESO PROJECT President Marcos led on Thursday the groundbreaking ceremonies for Meralco’s MTerra Solar Project in Nueva Ecija, touted as the world’s largest integrated solar and battery storage facility. —PCO PHOTO

Updated on November 22, 2024 at 4:49 p.m.

Manila Electric Co.’s (Meralco) power generation arm on Thursday kicked off the world’s largest integrated solar and battery storage facility in Nueva Ecija and Bulacan, which is expected to deliver clean energy to some 2.4 million households by 2027.

Dubbed the MTerra Solar Project, it costs around P200 billion and spans 3,500 hectares in the Nueva Ecija towns of Gapan, General Tinio, Peñaranda, and San Leonardo, as well as San Miguel in Bulacan.

Expected to be operational by February 2027, it will be equipped with five million solar panels with a capacity of 3,500-megawatt (MW) peak for the Luzon grid, a 4,500-MW hour battery energy storage system, and 13 kilometers of 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission lines.

READ: Going solar: The limitless power of the sun

The MTerra Solar Project will be initially connected to the existing 500-kV Nagsaag-San Jose Transmission Line and later linked to the upcoming 500-kV Nagsaag-Marilao Transmission Line.

“By leveraging our abundant solar resources, the MTerra Solar Project will help stabilize our power supply, reduce energy costs, and contribute significantly to our target of 35-percent renewable energy share in the power generation mix by the year 2030,” said President Marcos, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony at Peñaranda.

Environment-friendly

“The strong typhoons that we have been experiencing should further strengthen our resolve to find and facilitate solutions that will save our planet and the future of mankind,” he added.

Meralco is spearheading the project with its subsidiaries Terra Solar Philippines Inc. and Meralco PowerGen Corp., along with the SP New Energy Corp. (SPNEC) and UK-based Actis.

SPNEC, founded by Leandro Leviste, forged a strategic partnership with Actis to infuse $600 million (approximately P34 billion) into the endeavor.

“Numbers alone fail to articulate the full significance of this project, we are making a statement today that the Philippines is not only keeping pace with the global energy transition but more so express our intention, the Philippines’ intention to lead the migration from thermal to renewables,” Meralco chair Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

The facility is expected to avoid carbon emissions by an estimated 4.3 million tons annually, equivalent to removing more than three million gasoline-powered vehicles from the roads annually.

Chinese contractor

China Energy Engineering Corp. (Energy China) clinched the engineering, procurement, and construction contract.

READ: World’s biggest solar farm to get budget boost

According to the Department of Energy, the solar project is expected to generate over five billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, which will boost power supply in Luzon and address the growing demand for nonconventional sources of energy while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

“This major investment in solar and energy storage technology is a crucial step toward achieving our goal of increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix, reducing our carbon footprint, and addressing electricity demand in Luzon,” Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said in a statement.