Aboitiz unit starts construction on 239-megawatt Negros solar facility
Aboitiz Renewables Inc. began construction of its 239-megawatt solar project in Negros Occidental, expanding its clean energy capacity in the region as local governments seek to diversify the national power mix.
The renewable energy unit of Aboitiz Power Corp. said on Monday, Aug. 3, that it will build the Luna Solar Power Plant in Barangay Luna, Cadiz City, alongside an integrated 65-megawatt battery energy storage system.
Full commercial operations are targeted for 2028.
The facility is the company’s first combined renewable generation and battery storage site on Negros Island and will be its largest solar installation in the Visayas region. The added capacity will raise the company’s solar portfolio in the region by 471 megawatts.
Aboitiz Renewables already operates two clean energy assets in the province: the 173-megawatt Calatrava Solar Power Plant and the 59-megawatt SacaSun facility in San Carlos City.
The decision to build a third and larger installation reflects strong natural solar potential and local policies that streamline clean power development, Aboitiz Renewables President Jimmy A. Villaroman said.
National policymakers have pushed to broaden the Philippine energy mix, pointing to host communities with high solar irradiance as crucial to expanding green capacity.
Local government officials welcomed the multi-million-peso facility, citing economic development opportunities and new industrial activity. Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. said hosting the project demonstrates the city's ability to attract large industrial ventures beyond its traditional agricultural foundation.
The investment reinforces Negros Occidental’s standing as a clean energy hub, supported by clear provincial regulations and reliable solar exposure.
Adding the Luna facility brings Aboitiz Renewables’ total operating assets to 45 nationwide across solar, hydro, geothermal, and energy storage technologies. The company holds an additional development pipeline of more than 1,800 megawatts in prospective solar, wind, and hydroelectric projects. (Gabriell Christel Galang)