PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC) is set to begin commercial operations of its 25-megawatt-peak Bugallon Solar Power Plant in Pangasinan after securing regulatory approval from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).
The ERC issued the plant’s Certificate of Compliance (COC) dated Aug. 19, completing the regulatory requirements needed for the facility to operate commercially.
The approval follows the July 22 clearance from the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) and Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative (CENPELCO) for grid connection, marking the completion of commissioning tests.
“With the issuance of the COC, the facility can now commence commercial operations,” said Dave P. Gadiano, PGEC assistant vice president for power markets.
The company can now proceed with applications for a Certificate of Endorsement for the Green Energy Tariff with the Department of Energy and a Renewable Energy Payment Agreement with TransCo. The plant qualifies under the second round of the government’s Green Energy Auction Program.
Once operational, the solar facility is expected to generate a steady revenue stream through fixed and guaranteed payments from TransCo, Gadiano said.
The Bugallon project is being developed and operated by Bugallon Green Energy as part of a 111.6-MWp renewable energy portfolio under Rizal Green Energy Corp. (RGEC), a joint venture between Yuchengco-led PGEC and Japan’s Taisei Corp.
The project adds another piece to the country’s growing renewable energy pipeline as developers race to bring more solar capacity onto the grid.
RGEC is also preparing to commission its 6-MWp Limbauan Solar Power Project Phase 1 in San Pablo, Isabela. The project is the last remaining facility in the 111.6-MWp portfolio awaiting commercialization.
With Bugallon now cleared for commercial operations, PGEC is moving another solar project from the construction and testing stage into the more lucrative business of actually generating electricity.
