Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. (CREC) affiliate Citicore Solar Batangas 1 Inc. (CSBat 1) is seeking Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approval to connect its 50-megawatt (MW) solar power project to the national grid. The Tuy, Batangas facility is part of the Luntal Solar Power Project costing approximately P129.19 million to build.
The cost includes P78.38 million for the development of a plant switchyard with the remaining P50.8 million for the construction of a transmission line. According to ERC documents on file, connecting the Luntal solar power project is exclusively funded by CSBat 1 and should not affect regulated charges for consumers.
The ERC is scheduled to hear the project on 11 April this year.
This development aligns with CREC’s broader strategy to expand its renewable energy portfolio. The company has announced plans to allocate over P35 billion as capital expenditures this year and complete 1,200 MW worth of projects by year end. Most of the projects, including the four in Tuy, Batangas, are solar that qualify under the second round of Green Energy Auctions (GEA-2).
CREC president and CEO Oliver Tan said that 200 MW of the planned 1,000 MW solar capacity will be operational by April, with the remaining 800 MW to come online between July and September. The company’s diverse project portfolio also includes solar, hydro, and wind energy, with long-term plans to achieve 3,000 MW in wind generation capacity to complement its 5,000 MW solar target by 2028.
As part of its long-term growth strategy, CREC aims to add 1,000 MW of renewable energy capacity annually in the next five years. The Luntal solar project is one of the key steps toward achieving this objective.
