Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation (CREC) has powered up Citicore Solar Batangas 1, the Philippines’ first solar baseload power plant, marking a milestone in the country’s clean energy transition.

The 197-megawatt peak (MWp) facility in Tuy, Batangas is paired with a 320-megawatt hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS), enabling round-the-clock electricity supply. The switch-on ceremony held September 15 was led by President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr., alongside Energy Secretary Sharon Garin and CREC officials.

“Our Citicore Solar Batangas 1 is the first in the Philippines to prove that solar can be true baseload power. This is a huge step forward in the country’s renewable energy transition,” said CREC President and CEO Oliver Tan. He added that CREC is on track to deliver its first 1 gigawatt of renewable energy capacity by early 2026.

“Soon, our country will no longer have to rely on unclean energy and the uncertainties of fuel importation. Instead, we will be powered by homegrown, reliable, and pure renewable energy—bringing us closer to our vision of Powering a First-World Philippines with Pure Renewable Energy,” Tan said.

CREC Chairman Edgar Saavedra emphasized the company’s long-standing partnership with the government in delivering infrastructure and energy projects. “We always value our strong partnership with the government – a collaboration we’ve consistently demonstrated from Megawide to Citicore. With our experience and expertise in engineering, construction, and innovation, we are poised to complete our projects on time, with quality, and at a lower cost.”

The Batangas plant forms part of 11 projects across Pangasinan, Pampanga, Batangas, Quezon, and Negros Occidental that will complete CREC’s first gigawatt portfolio by end-2025. Together, the facilities are expected to power around 800,000 homes annually and cut nearly 2.8 billion tons of carbon emissions.

Nine of the projects have secured 20-year supply contracts under the Department of Energy’s Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP)-2. All are recognized as Energy Projects of National Significance, with 10 receiving Green Lane Certifications from the Board of Investments.

CREC is also scaling up its AgroSolar Initiative, which integrates crop production with solar operations to support farmers and strengthen local food security.

What’s your view on baseload solar entering the Philippines’ energy mix? Could this accelerate wider adoption of renewables in the power sector?

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