Lopez-led First Gen Group announced that its first utility-scale solar project in Tanauan City, Batangas, will address the rising energy demand in the area by providing renewable energy (RE) to its electric cooperative (EC).

In a statement on Wednesday, March 11, First Gen said it broke ground on its ₱2.1-billion Inara solar power plant project, located in Brgy. Bilog-bilog, which will supply clean energy to Batangas Electric Cooperative II (Batelec II) and power First Philippine Industrial Park (FPIP).

The development is expected to generate 54 megawatts (MW), enough to contribute electricity to Batelec II’s franchise area and the 520-hectare (ha) economic zone, where 150 locators operate.

Inara project will occupy 36 ha in Tanauan, including a planned 100-MW expansion and a battery energy storage system (BESS). Construction is scheduled for completion by the summer of next year.

First Gen President Francis Giles Puno said the project would deploy more RE to additional locations in Batangas province, effectively scaling up RE and creating economic opportunities.

The project’s design will also incorporate agrivoltaics, which co-locates agricultural crops within the solar site.

“This [agri-PV approach] means farmers can continue cultivating crops even as solar panels generate electricity above... Energy production does not have to displace agriculture; the two can work together, allowing the same land to support both food production and clean energy,” Puno said.

“The Inara project is economically significant because it will help augment the rising energy demands of our growing industries and households. More supply of renewable energy means that Batangas becomes an even more attractive investment destination for industries and locators,” said Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto, who was also present at the groundbreaking ceremony.

First Gen plans to raise its capacity to 13 gigawatts (GW), which would add about 9,000 MW by 2030.

“The bulk of the First Gen Group’s expansion capacity will consist of power plants running on RE, such as solar, in support of the government’s goal to increase RE’s share in the country’s energy mix to 35 percent by 2030 and to 50 percent by 2040,” the company concluded.