Citicore breaks ground on Philippines' first integrated solar-storage facility in Pampanga
Leading the groundbreaking ceremony of the first embedded Solar IRESS of CREC and PELCO I is the Municipality of Magalang Mayor Mayor Maria Lourdes "Malu" Paras-Lacson (center), Citicore Energy Solutions President Jerard Garcia (2nd from left), Magalang Municipal Admin Norman Lacson (left), PELCO I Board President Emmanuel Manalo (2nd from right), and PELCO I General Manager Allan David (right)
Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. (CREC) broke ground on a 41-megawatt-peak solar plant with an integrated battery storage unit in Pampanga, advancing what it describes as the country’s first embedded solar facility with an energy storage system.
In a statement, CREC said the project in Magalang, developed alongside local utility Pampanga 1 Electric Cooperative (PELCO0, pairs solar generation with a 53-megawatt-hour battery energy storage system.
Slated for completion in the second half of 2027, the plant will deliver power directly into PELCO I’s local distribution network rather than routing electricity through the main national transmission grid.
By bypassing the high-voltage transmission lines, CREC said embedded facilities lower line losses during transmission, help stabilize regional voltage, and cushion retail consumers against grid-wide congestion costs. The setup also assists distribution utilities in satisfying mandatory targets under the government’s Renewable Portfolio Standards, which require power distributors to source an increasing percentage of their energy supply from clean generators.
Jerard Garcia, Citicore Energy Solutions Inc. president, said the partnership aims to lower overall power expenses for local consumer-owners.
The company has maintained a commercial partnership with the Pampanga cooperative since 2024 to design customized energy delivery models intended to reduce electricity bill pressure.
Allan David, PELCO I general manager, said the commencement of construction represents a shift toward long-term operational sustainability for the cooperative, securing localized generation capacity to meet growing regional energy demand. (Gabriell Christel Galang)