Batangas Clean Energy Inc. (BCE) is looking to kickstart the construction of its Php 60 billion 1,100-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant in Batangas by August 2023. 

According to the documents submitted to the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR), the power plant will source its gas from a nearby liquefied natural gas import facility and is expected to begin commercial operations by the second half of 2026. 

BCE, which is a joint venture of the Ayala-led ENEX Energy Corp. and US-based Blackstone Inc. portfolio company Gen X Energy LLC, is among the largest industrial investments in the area. 

The project will be constructed on a 24 hectare onshore land and 15 hectare foreshore area in Barangay Libjo and Barangay Malitam, Batangas City.

BCE said that the power plant project is being pursued in line with the need of new power generation capacity to become online by 2025. 

The company stressed that the power plant is flexible to burn up to 50% (by volume) clean hydrogen as supplemental fuel when hydrogen becomes commercially available and supply five to 10% of Luzon Grid’s power requirements. 

BCE also stated that the project would be among the country’s first power plants to have the flexibility to use zero-emission hydrogen as a supplemental fuel.

The Department of Energy (DOE) certified the project as an energy project of national significance that will be part of the next generation CCGT power plants, which will help the transition of the Philippines away from more carbon-intensive coal and oil-fired baseload generation.

BCE was able to secure relevant Batangas City LGU permits and has conducted various field surveys and technical studies with local and international engineering/environmental consultants. It also received conditional financing from a consortium of Philippine banks.