Citicore Renewable Energy Corp.’s (CREC) solar unit in Pangasinan is seeking the approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to develop facilities linking its solar project to the Luzon grid.
In an application filing posted on the ERC website, Citicore Solar Pangasinan Inc. (CSPI) has requested the regulator’s authority to develop and own a dedicated point-to-point facility that would connect the 90-megawatt alternating current (MWac) Sta. Barbara 1 solar power project to National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’s (NGCP) 69-kilovolt (kV) Balingueo substation.
The interconnection project would involve the development of a plant switchyard and a transmission line through a three-phase 69-kV line.
“The said three-phase 69-kV line is approximately 500 meters away from the intended connection point. The dedicated facility project will be owned by CSPI,” it stated.
Additionally, CSPI noted that the project will be fully funded and will not impose any additional fees on its consumers.
The plant switchyard would cost around ₱159.6 million, while the transmission line is valued at ₱16.58 million.
The overall project cost for the point-to-point facility is about ₱176 million.
Subsequently, CSPI has been aggressively applying for relevant permits in order to commence the solar project’s operations, leveraging on the renewable energy (RE) laws that aim to increase renewables in the country’s energy mix.
“The government has a vested interest in supporting RE developers to become commercially operational as soon as possible,” it stated. “The issuance of a provisional authority for the development and ownership of the dedicated facility project is necessary so that the [solar] project’s generated power becomes readily available for public use.”
CREC currently focuses on renewable developments across the country, which include solar, wind, and hydropower projects, alongside a diverse portfolio of RE generation projects and its retail electricity supply business.
Earlier this week, the company reported an 11-percent increase in its net income last year due to strong electricity sales, boosting its bottom line from ₱910 million to ₱1 billion year-on-year.