MTerra Solar beefs up power grid by 250 MW

Pangilinan-led Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGEN) said on Monday that its P200-billion Luzon solar farm has started beefing up the Philippines’ power supply with an initial 250 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity.

This came more than a month after the group marked the initial energization of a portion of the MTerra Solar project, covering 85 MW.

Aside from the solar output, MGEN has also switched on the first tranche of its battery energy storage system (BESS), allowing the facility to inject up to 450 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy to the grid system at night.

This makes MTerra Solar’s battery power storage “the largest operational BESS available” in the country.

The firm said activating even just a segment of the mammoth facility provides needed grid support, especially as the local market reels from the impact of the Middle East war on fuel prices.

“The project’s phased energization enables earlier delivery of capacity to the grid, helping ease supply constraints and supporting efforts to maintain stable electricity prices amid evolving global conditions,” MGEN president and CEO Emmanuel Rubio said in a statement.

MGEN Renewables and MTerra Solar president and CEO Dennis Jordan also said the massive solar asset spanning areas in Nueva Ecija and Bulacan helps “secure the country’s energy future at a time when reliability and affordability are under increasing pressure.”

Phase one of the project is expected to be operational by August, while construction works for phase two are progressing well.

Once fully operational next year, the project is seen generating up to 3,500 MW of solar power, complemented by a 4,500 MWh BESS.

The capacity will be sufficient to power about 2.4 million households.

MGEN has become a driving force for its parent firm, Manila Electric Co., the country’s largest electricity distributor, with its business now extending into power generation.

The company has interests in solar, thermal and natural gas assets.