AboitizPower’s solar milestones lead its renewable energy drive
In support of the Philippines’ ambition of having a 35% share of renewable energy in its power generation mix by 2030, Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) continues to pursue opportunities to grow its clean energy portfolio.
From less than a gigawatt of net attributable renewable energy capacity in 2020, AboitizPower increased it to 1.4 gigawatts as of end-2024, with solar accounting for most of the growth in the past few years.
Most recently, Aboitiz Renewables Inc., through wholly-owned subsidiary AP Renewable Energy Corporation, signed a P7.4-billion project finance deal with the Bank of the Philippine Islands to fund the engineering, construction, operation, and maintenance of the 221 megawatt peak (MWp) Olongapo solar power plant in Zambales.
Construction of the project began in the first quarter of 2024 and is near completion. The solar PV capacity will be Aboitiz Renewables’ largest solar project to date.
“Olongapo Solar represents a major contribution to AboitizPower’s clean energy portfolio,” said Aboitiz Renewables President Jimmy Villaroman. “Every project we build is the product of a highly motivated organization contributing to AboitizPower’s energy transition effort.”
Aboitiz Renewables is the renewable energy arm of AboitizPower holding investments and interests in various renewable energy projects, including geothermal, large hydro, run-of-river hydro, wind, battery energy storage systems, and solar projects.
Largest solar facility in Visayas
In July 2025, Aboitiz Renewables also secured the “Final Certificate of Approval to Connect” (FCATC) from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for its Calatrava solar power plant in Negros Occidental, signaling the facility’s readiness for commercial operation.
The FCATC confirmed that the 173-MWp Calatrava solar power plant meets NGCP’s technical and operational requirements for grid connection, making it the largest solar PV farm in the Visayas.
Located in San Isidro, Calatrava, Negros Occidental, the solar plant is expected to add on to the power generation capacity in the region and support broader national objectives to scale up renewable energy integration across the grid.
”Aboitiz Renewables is able to complete great projects like the Calatrava SPP with the strong collaboration from NGCP. We appreciate NGCP for working closely with us to bring this project online, and helping us progress our humble mission to deliver affordable, reliable, clean energy to customers,” Villaroman said.
“This milestone adds significant capacity to the grid, helps electricity suppliers meet their Renewable Portfolio Standards obligations, and is another step forward for the country as far as our nationwide energy transition objectives are concerned,” he added.
As a clean and indigenous source of energy, renewables like solar also forward the country’s ambitions for greater energy self-sufficiency and a diverse energy portfolio.
Growing energy portfolio
Last November 2024, Aboitiz Renewables also energized the 45-MWp Armenia solar project in Tarlac, marking its first solar power plant in Central Luzon. The solar facility connects to the grid via an 11.58-kilometer transmission line that traverses five barangays.
Prior to Armenia, Aboitiz Renewables energized three more solar facilities, namely, the 94-MWp Cayanga-Bugallon and 159-MWp Laoag solar power projects in Pangasinan — both built on repurposed non-arable sloping grounds instead of sunny agricultural lands — and the 59-MWp San Carlos Sun Power Inc. (SacaSun) solar power plant in Negros Occidental — the company’s inaugural solar power facility.
Currently, AboitizPower has over 1,000 MW of disclosed projects from various indigenous energy sources. AP Renewables Inc., the geothermal subsidiary of Aboitiz Renewables, previously announced the Bay battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Laguna, which is set to be the first-ever BESS and geothermal hybrid system in the Philippines.
According to the Energy Regulatory Commission, AboitizPower is the market leader in power generation capacity, with a national market share of 23.86% as of July 2025. Together with its partners, AboitizPower offers one of the largest renewable energy portfolios in the Philippines based on installed capacity under its operational control.
