Solar Philippines Biga Corporation, a subsidiary of Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings, has announced that it has secured a contract from the Department of Energy of Philippines to initiate the development of a 2GW PV project in Nasugbu, a municipality in the province of Batangas. According to reports from local media outlets, the pre-construction phase will begin this year. Although Solar Philippines has received the Renewable Energy Service Contract from the Department of Energy, it still has to obtain various other permits such as the Environmental Compliance Certificate as well as the land-use right for the project site.
This mega project is named the Batangas 3 Solar Baseload Plant and will span over an area of 2,000ha. In addition to having 2GW of PV generation, the project will also include 6GWh of battery storage and 600MW of diesel generation so as to mitigate the risks of variability and intermittency. The construction and subsequent operation of the project will create local jobs and investments. Once connected to the grid, it will provide the surrounding communities with a steady supply of clean and renewable power.
Solar Philippines said that the Batangas 3 will play an important role in enhancing the stability of the country’s energy supply and reducing imports of fossil fuels. Also, adding more renewable generation will obviously contribute to the fight against climate change. Solar Philippines has already built two PV power plants that are located in Batangas and Tarlac respectively. The company has also been setting up rooftop PV projects all around the country.
A Renewable Service Energy Contract gives Solar Philippines the right to explore, develop, and utilize solar resource. However, having this contract does not necessarily mean that the project is fully approved. Public consultation and environmental impact assessment have to be conducted before actual construction can begin.
With regard to the company’s schedule for the development of the Batangas 3, a feasibility study was conducted last August, and pre-construction work (including the acquisition of land and permits) will take place this year. Construction is set to start in the fourth quarter of 2022 and will probably finish in 2024.
If the project has fallen through for some reason, then the land of the project site will continue to be used for agricultural activities.