The Department of Energy (DOE) and its partners have energized the first phase of the Tantangan Solar Power Project in Mindanao, delivering 74.5 megawatts-peak (MWp) of capacity and enough electricity to serve about 68,000 households.

The project is being developed by Apolaki Seven Inc. and IbVogt with national and local government partners. The ground-mounted solar facility is being built in two phases and is currently 97.3% complete.

Full completion is targeted by October 2026, when the project is expected to reach a total installed capacity of 99 MWp.

The facility will also include a battery energy storage system capable of delivering 4 megawatts and storing 16 megawatt-hours of energy. The system is intended to store excess solar generation and release it during peak-demand periods.

Once fully operational, the Tantangan Solar Power Project is expected to generate 163 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually and avoid around 113,950 metric tons of carbon emissions each year.

The DOE said the project would also create employment opportunities during construction and operations, support the development of local technical expertise, stimulate economic activity, and strengthen Sultan Kudarat’s position as an emerging renewable energy investment destination.

“By bringing utility-scale solar generation to Mindanao, this plant strengthens the reliability and diversity of the island’s power supply,” Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said.

“Projects, such as this, strengthen our energy security. It sends a clear message: Mindanao is ready to lead in our country’s clean energy transition,” she added.

The project was awarded Solar Energy Operating Contract No. 2023-08-689 on September 19, 2023 under the Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP).

The DOE designed GEAP to attract private-sector investment in large-scale renewable energy projects by providing a policy framework for their development.

“Today, this project stands as proof that our program works,” Garin said.

She added that renewable energy projects can be scaled when the government provides the right policy environment and the private sector contributes capital, vision, and execution.

Can the completion of the Tantangan Solar Power Project help strengthen Mindanao’s power supply while accelerating the Philippines’ renewable energy transition?

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