CREC fires up 69-MW Negros Occidental solar park

Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. (CREC) has begun delivering electricity to the Visayas grid, switching on with its 69-megawatt peak (MWp) solar park in Negros Occidental.

In a statement on Tuesday, CREC said the Citicore Solar Negros Occidental 2 Solar power plant went online in time for the hotter months when power demand usually peaks.

“Delivering this project ahead of the summer peak demonstrates our ability to deliver dependable capacity when the system needs it most,” said CREC president and CEO Oliver Tan.

“As one of our largest solar plants in Visayas to date, it demonstrates that our growth strategy extends beyond Luzon and is anchored in strengthening energy security in the Visayas,” he added.

The Edgar Saavedra-led firm said the facility can be expanded to up to 100 MWp total capacity, although no details on the target timeline were provided.

The new solar park, which went through the government’s green energy auction program (GEAP), adds to the firm’s existing 25-MWp CS Negros Occidental 1.

GEAP is a government initiative meant to scale up renewables’ share in the electricity generation mix currently dominated by coal.

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According to Tan, the new asset is the group’s sixth project — which went through the GEAP — to be energized out of a total of 12.

“Four more plants are eyed for commercial operations this April, while the remaining two would be activated “in the next couple of months,” Tan said.

On Monday, CREC reported a 14-percent increase in its net income last year, hitting P1.15 billion from P1 billion.