Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. (CREC) has switched on its 125-megawatt-peak solar facility in Pangasinan, lifting its total gross installed capacity to 794MWp and reinforcing the Luzon grid ahead of peak summer demand.
Situated across the municipalities of Sta. Barbara and Calasiao, the Citicore Solar Pangasinan project is expected to produce around 202 gigawatt-hours of clean electricity annually—enough to power between 90,000 and 100,000 households. The facility will also help avoid nearly 120,000 metric tons of carbon emissions each year, supporting national decarbonization goals.
CREC said an additional 424MWp of capacity is scheduled for energization within the next three months, underscoring its aggressive expansion pipeline. The rollout is expected to bolster grid reliability during high-demand periods while accelerating progress toward the Philippines’ renewable energy targets.
A key feature of the Pangasinan plant is its elevated solar panel design, engineered to address local environmental conditions. By raising the arrays, the installation improves resilience against flooding while enhancing airflow and drainage—factors that contribute to more stable and efficient energy generation.
“Our responsibility to deliver clean energy solutions includes not only sustainability, but also resilience,” said CREC President and CEO Oliver Tan. He added that the company continues to integrate climate-adaptive features across its portfolio while advancing complementary initiatives such as AgroSolar.
Under CREC’s AgroSolar program, farmland beneath and between solar arrays remains productive, allowing crops to be cultivated alongside power generation. This dual-use approach provides farmers with continued livelihood opportunities.
The project operates under a long-term offtake agreement awarded through the Department of Energy’s Green Energy Auction Program Round 2, aligning private sector investment with government policy. CREC noted the development generated nearly 1,000 local jobs and further positions Pangasinan as an emerging renewable energy hub in Northern Luzon.
