Aboitiz greenlights Visayas' largest solar power plant for commercial operations
Calatrava solar power plant in Negros Occidental
Aboitiz Renewables Inc. (ARI), the renewable energy arm of Aboitiz Power Corp., is poised to begin commercial operations of the largest solar facility in the Visayas.
In a statement, the company announced on Thursday, July 24, that it has received the final certificate of approval to connect (FCATC) from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
This approval allows ARI to commence commercial operations for the 137.4-megawatt alternating-current (MWac) Calatrava solar power plant in Negros Occidental, the largest operating solar and variable renewable energy (VRE) facility in the Visayas region.
NGCP granted the certificate after Calatrava Solar met all technical and operational requirements for seamless grid integration.
“Aboitiz Renewables is able to complete great projects like the Calatrava SPP with the strong collaboration from NGCP,” Jimmy Villaroman, ARI president, 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.
Construction of the Calatrava solar plant began in 2023, and it was energized in December 2024.
“The successful grid integration of Calatrava SPP, alongside these upcoming projects, highlights Aboitiz Renewables' momentum in contributing to the country’s renewable energy growth,” he said.
In addition to the Calatrava facility, ARI is preparing to bring two more solar projects online in Luzon. These are the Olongapo solar power plant in Olongapo City and the San Manuel solar power plant in Pangasinan.
Both plants are slated for commissioning by the third quarter of this year. The Olongapo solar plant will connect to NGCP’s 230-kilovolt (kV) Castillejos substation, while the San Manuel plant will link to the 69-kV San Manuel substation.