As its massive solar facility continues to undergo development, the power generation arm of Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said it is actively working with the grid operator to address any transmission concerns that may arise once the full capacity of its solar project comes online.

Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGEN) President Emmanuel V. Rubio said in an interview last week that the 3,500-megawatt (MW) MTerra Solar project is currently being developed in phases and that the company has been coordinating with National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).

“We understand NGCP’s concern because there’s still volatility,” Rubio said, referring to the grid operator’s concerns over the stability of Luzon’s power system.

NGCP earlier cautioned that a heavy renewable energy (RE) load must be matched by dependable baseload plants and other fast-ramping resources to minimize frequency fluctuations and possible power disruptions.

“Although we have batteries... The batteries have shown good forming capability as we actually increase the demand,” Rubio said.

The solar facility—located on a 3,500-hectare (ha) site spanning the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Bulacan—is complemented by a 4,500 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS), allowing the intermittent power source to store electricity and help mitigate grid congestion.

According to MGEN, the project will be connected to Luzon grid through a 13-kilometer (km), 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line and is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 4.3 million tons annually.

“Since this is something new and everyone’s learning, we’re working together with NGCP on the phases,” Rubio said.

The MGEN chief said the remaining MTerra Solar developments are progressing, assuring that inflationary pressures arising from geopolitical tensions have not yet affected the advancement of the massive RE project.

“We have around 1,700 megawatt-alternating current (MWac) of panels. So the only issue now is the evacuation to the grid,” he said.

While the project started delivering power to Luzon grid last March, the next expansion phase is scheduled for August this year, with the second phase expected to begin sometime in February or March next year.

“By August we’re ready to deliver the 600-MW block mid-market supply coming from Terra Solar to Meralco,” Rubio said.