First Gen Group has begun construction of a 54-megawatt solar power project in Tanauan City, Batangas, marking the company’s entry into utility-scale solar generation as it expands its renewable energy portfolio.

The Inara Solar Power Plant, located in Barangay Bilog-bilog, will occupy a 36-hectare site and is targeted for completion by summer next year. The project is valued at about PHP 2 billion, reflecting a significant investment in the region’s renewable energy infrastructure.

Company officials and local leaders led the groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, including Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto, Tanauan Mayor Nelson “Sonny” Collanes and First Gen President Francis Giles B. Puno.

“Solar brings accessibility, scalability, and abundance – allowing clean energy to be deployed more rapidly and across many locations. Through this project, we aim to expand renewable energy in a way that continues to create opportunities for both communities and industries,” Puno said.

Once operational, the solar facility is expected to help support electricity demand in southern Luzon by supplying power within the distribution system of Batangas Electric Cooperative II and nearby industrial users, including locators at First Philippine Industrial Park.

The project has been designed with future expansion capacity of up to 100 MW, and the company is studying the integration of a battery energy storage system to improve operational flexibility and grid stability.

First Gen also plans to integrate agrivoltaic (agri-PV) technology at the site, allowing agricultural crops to be cultivated beneath solar panels.

“This [agri-PV approach] means farmers can continue cultivating crops even as solar panels generate electricity above,” Puno said. “Energy production does not have to displace agriculture; the two can work together, allowing the same land to support both food production and clean energy.”

Governor Santos-Recto said the project will help support the province’s economic growth.

“The Inara project is economically significant because it will help augment the rising energy demands of our growing industries and households. More supply of renewable energy means that Batangas becomes an even more attractive investment destination for industries and locators,” she said.

The solar project forms part of First Gen’s broader expansion plan to increase its generating capacity to 13,000 MW by 2030, adding roughly 9,000 MW of new capacity over the next several years.

The company currently operates about 1,700 MW of renewable capacity across hydro, geothermal, solar, and wind facilities nationwide.

First Gen is also expanding through investments in pumped-storage hydropower and geothermal development, including a 33% stake in the pumped-storage portfolio of Prime Infrastructure Capital, which includes the 600-MW Wawa project in Rizal and the 1,400-MW Ahunan project in Laguna.

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