• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. (CREC) has successfully energized the 69-megawatt peak (MWp) Citicore Solar Negros Occidental 2 Solar Power Plant in Barangay E. Lopez, Silay City.
“Delivering this project ahead of the summer peak demonstrates our ability to deliver dependable capacity when the system needs it most,” CREC president and chief executive officer Oliver Tan said in a statement.
“As one of our largest solar plants in Visayas to date, it demonstrates that our growth strategy extends beyond Luzon and anchored in strengthening energy security in the Visayas,” he added.
The project, which spans 69 hectares, is designed for future expansion up to 100MWp total capacity.
This new facility is built on CREC’s existing footprint in the province, complementing the operational 25MWp CS Negros Occidental 1.
The energization marks another milestone in CREC’s ambitious five gigawatts in five years roadmap, reaffirming its leadership in the country’s renewable energy sector and its commitment to supporting the government’s clean energy transition.
As a project under the Department of Energy’s Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP) 2, the plant will deliver clean, reliable power to the Visayas grid.
“This is our sixth out of 12 GEA-2 Projects energized, another four plants ready for energization by April, with the last two plants to be energized in the next couple of months, completing all GEA-2 projects we’ve won,” Tan said.
Recently, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin personally inspected CS Negros Occidental 2 together with Tan, commending the company for beyond timely delivery and continued commitment to the national energy transition goals.
CREC said it will also expand its pioneering AgroSolar Initiative in the facility, allotting the land underneath solar panels to grow high-value crops to maintain the agricultural intent of the solar land. | GB
