^{Photo credit: NEA}

Filinvest Development Corp. has inaugurated its first large-scale solar power project in Mindanao, a 20.774-megawatt peak (MWp) facility in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, marking its entry into the utility-scale renewable energy market.

The ground-mounted solar plant, developed through FDC Green Energy Corp., is located within the PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate and represents an investment of more than PHP 1 billion, according to the company.

The project operates under a 25-year solar energy service contract awarded by the Department of Energy and is expected to generate about 30.2 million kilowatt-hours of net clean energy annually. Officials said this output will help support rising electricity demand in Mindanao, where peak load growth is projected at around 5.5% per year through 2030.

The ceremonial switch-on and inauguration on May 22 was attended by Energy Regulatory Commission Chairperson Atty. Francis Saturnino Juan, National Electrification Administration Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda, Energy Undersecretary Mario Marasigan, and other industry stakeholders. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin led the event on behalf of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.

DOE has identified the Misamis Oriental facility as part of a broader group of 22 renewable energy projects prioritized for expedited development, reflecting the government’s push to accelerate new capacity additions.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin noted that the facility is designed as part of a hybrid configuration, paired with an existing thermal baseload asset within the PHIVIDEC estate—an arrangement aimed at improving grid stability while integrating variable renewable generation into the system.

“Filinvest Land isn’t just a property developer, but it was one of the companies that saved Mindanao from a power crisis 20 years ago. Its 405MW clean coal power plant in PHIVIDEC now hosts a 20MW utility scale power plant. That’s a unique set up by itself,” she said on a Facebook post.

FDC Green Energy President and CEO Juan Eugenio L. Roxas said the plant uses bifacial solar technology, which captures sunlight on both sides of the panels and can increase energy yield by up to 30% compared with conventional modules. 

He said the elevated output during daytime peaks is expected to improve system reliability and asset efficiency.

At full operation, the facility is projected to displace around 21,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, equivalent to removing roughly 4,500 passenger vehicles from roads each year, based on company estimates.

As hybrid and co-located energy projects expand in industrial estates like PHIVIDEC, should policy focus shift toward system-level planning incentives that explicitly integrate grid stability, decarbonization targets, and industrial load growth?

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