EcoSolar Energy Corp. (ESEC), a subsidiary of PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC), has secured an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for its 98.20-megawatt direct current (MWDC) Panitan Solar Power Project in Capiz, marking a key regulatory milestone for what is set to become the company’s largest solar facility.

The ECC was issued by the Environmental Management Bureau Region 6 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, allowing the project to advance further through its development phase after completing environmental and pre-development requirements.

The Panitan Solar Power Project (PSPP), located in the municipality of Panitan, is among the winning projects under the Department of Energy’s Green Energy Auction Program 4 (GEA-4). 

Once completed, it will be PGEC’s biggest solar power development to date and is expected to add new renewable energy capacity to the Visayas grid.

The project remains subject to remaining pre-development activities, construction works, and the upgrading of the 138-kilovolt Panitan substation by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines. Commercial operations are targeted on or before the end of 2028.

“We are pleased to receive the ECC for our Panitan Solar Power Project after an extensive process that began in November 2025. Capiz government leaders, Panitan municipal officials, and local stakeholders endorsed the project citing its significance and potential impacts as the province’s first utility-scale solar power facility,” said Yrel V. Ventura, PGEC Assistant Vice President for Environment and Community Relations.

“As important, this investment by the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC) will add much needed power to the Visayas grid which has been plagued by constant red and yellow alerts recently,” he added.

The project is expected to become Capiz’s first utility-scale solar power facility, strengthening the renewable energy pipeline in Western Visayas.

The project has received backing from provincial and local government officials. During a public consultation conducted in Panitan in March 2025, the Capiz Provincial Government said the proposed solar facility was among the priority investments being advanced by Governor Fredenil H. Castro as part of efforts to bring renewable energy projects into the province.

PGEC said the project is also expected to create jobs during the construction phase, generate local procurement opportunities, and support community development initiatives in host communities.

A notable component of the development is its planned agrivoltaics program, which will combine solar power generation with agricultural activities on the same land area. The approach is intended to support both food and energy security while creating livelihood opportunities through crop production, nursery operations, and other community-based enterprises in the host barangays of Timpas and Capagao.

ESEC is a joint venture between Yuchengco-led PGEC and Japan-based Kyuden International Corp.

What are your thoughts on the role of utility-scale solar and agrivoltaics in strengthening energy security and supporting local communities in the Visayas? Join the discussion.

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