San Miguel energy firm eyes P11.5-B solar park
A subsidiary of San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp. is hoping to expand the capacity of its proposed solar farm in Davao Occidental, with an investment of P11.5 billion.
A document submitted to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources showed that SMC Global Light and Power Corp. targets to build a solar plant with a total capacity of 300 megawatts (MW).
Its existing environmental compliance certificate (ECC), however, only covers 95 MW. It was issued last December.
Developers need to secure ECC before they can proceed with some projects, as this permit certifies that the activity will not negatively impact the environment.
Once cleared, the firm intends to build and operate the project in phases. Groundworks will begin by the third quarter this year while the completion of the whole facility is planned by late 2028.
Further backing the project is the firm’s win in the recent fourth-round green energy auction. It focused on ground-mounted, roof-mounted, and floating solar; onshore wind, and integrated solar with energy storage systems.
SMC Global Light and Power said the proposed solar park supports the Philippines’ shift to cleaner energy, especially as demand for electricity continues to rise.
Citing data from the Philippine Energy Plan 2023–2050, local power sales are expected to increase significantly to 408.11 terawatt hours (TWh) by 2050 from 91.3 TWh in 2022.
Peak power demand is also seen to surge from 16,600 MW about four years ago to 68,500 MW by 2050.
To ensure no shortages, the country needs an additional generating capacity of 122,700 MW.
“Renewable energy remains a key pillar of the Philippine government’s low-emission development strategy, aimed at addressing climate change, ensuring energy security, and expanding access to clean energy,” the company said.
“The project is fully aligned with the Philippines’ renewable energy transition,” it added.
SMC’s power generation unit has 5,710 MW of combined capacity from its portfolio of natural gas, coal, renewable energy, including hydroelectric power and battery energy storage systems.
