PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC) switched on the 40-megawatt solar facility in Isabela province as the renewable energy arm of the Yuchengco Group of Companies accelerates domestic energy projects to hedge against volatile global fuel markets.

In a statement PGEC said the Limbauan Solar Power Plant, operated by its subsidiary BKS Green Energy Corp., commenced operations following a ceremony on March 16 in San Pablo, Isabela.

The project is expected to generate 59 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, a volume sufficient to power approximately 33,000 households while offsetting 31,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year.

The facility was developed through Rizal Green Energy Corp., a joint venture between PetroGreen and Japan’s Taisei Corp. The commissioning comes as energy officials push for a more aggressive rollout of indigenous power sources to insulate the local economy from supply shocks originating in the Middle East and other geopolitical hotspots.

Francisco G. Delfin Jr., PetroGreen president and chief executive officer, said the current conflict in the Middle East underscores the necessity of securing the national energy supply and reducing a long-standing dependence on imported fuels.

He said the Limbauan facility is one of the first utility-scale solar installations in Isabela, a province traditionally reliant on the national grid's broader mix.

The project’s structure highlights the increasing integration of distributed and grid-scale power. The development was executed in two phases: a six-megawatt portion embedded within the Isabela Electric Cooperative II system and a larger 34-megawatt component connected to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines via a 4.73-kilometer transmission line.

This second phase was among the winning bidders in the Department of Energy’s second Green Energy Auction program, a government initiative designed to lock in renewable capacity through competitive bidding.

Marissa Cerezo, director of the Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Management Bureau, said the administration is pressuring developers to expedite timelines. The Energy Secretary has directed that renewable projects slated for completion in 2026 be brought online ahead of schedule to ensure economic stability.

The plant utilizes 52,640 photovoltaic panels supplied by Trina Solar Co. and supported roughly 600 jobs during its peak construction phase in 2025.