ACEN Corp. and Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. will raise the capacity of the Arayat–Mexico solar farm in Pampanga province from 72 MW to 116 MW by the end of the year, less than 12 months after the first phase was energised, the two companies announced on June 13.
The expansion aims to reinforce the Luzon grid ahead of the expected surge in demand during the dry season, after the plant reached its initial nameplate capacity only 10 months after construction began.
Expansion to 116 MW
“Our construction team is ready to start phase 2 next month, which will bring total output to 116 MW before December,” Citicore chief executive officer Oliver Tan said, adding that the required modules and inverters are already on site.
Day-to-day operations will be handled by Citicore Property Managers Inc., a subsidiary that already runs eight ground-mounted solar parks and a rooftop micro-grid in the archipelago.
Grid-compliance tests in April
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines will conduct the mandatory grid-compliance tests during the second week of April, verifying frequency and voltage stability once the new tranche is energised ahead of commercial service.
José Maria Zabaleta, chief development officer at ACEN, said the venture “shows how partners pool their expertise to deliver a high-quality facility on schedule”, praising teams that have worked “tirelessly from development through to operations”.
Once fully operational, the 116 MW complex is expected to generate about 105 GWh of renewable electricity each year, enough to power 45 000 Philippine households and avoid 72 000 t of carbon-dioxide emissions, according to the promoters’ estimates.
