Aboitiz Power Corporation has begun developing its 74-megawatt Cayanga-Bugallon solar power project in Pangasinan, its first venture for the year, after securing board approval.
AboitizPower President and CEO Emmanuel Rubio said the firm hopes to start project construction within the second half of 2021 and targets commercial operations by the fourth quarter of 2022, further reinforcing its renewable energy portfolio.
Upon completion, the renewable energy facility would give contestable customers another option to go green, in line with AboitizPower’s commitment to being an effective partner for progress and driving change for the people today as well as for generations to come.
“We are very excited about this because this is another step towards achieving our 10-year strategy with regard to significantly increasing our RE capacity and aiming for a 50:50 balance between our Cleanergy and thermal portfolios,” Rubio said in a statement.
Five AboitizPower retail electricity supplier (RES) subsidiaries are among the ten participants in the Department of Energy’s Green Energy Option Program (GEOP). Under the GEOP, as well the Energy Regulatory Commission’s retail competition and open access policy, contestable customers can directly negotiate with RESs instead of the power distributor in their area to supply their electricity needs.
“Majority of the solar facility’s capacity will be contracted for retail electricity supply, which we hope can help bring more sustainable energy to homes and businesses in the country,” Rubio added.
The Cayanga-Bugallon project will be the company’s second solar power venture after its 59 megawatt-peak facility in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental (photo above), which was inaugurated in 2016.
Pangasinan’s provincial government has expressed support for the project, saying this reinforces its thrust to transform the province into the best place to invest, work, live, and raise a family.
