60-MW Toledo solar power plant gets ERC nod, switches on

FTSEC COC Awarding Ceremony on July 16, 2017, attended by (L-R) ERC Commissioners Geronimo D. Sta. Ana, Gloria Victoria C. Yap-Taruc, and Citicore Power, Inc’s Energy Regulations Manager Rio Q. Balaba and Energy Regulation & Compliance Associate Edsel D. Bustonera.
PHOTO BY ERC.

The First Toledo Solar Energy Corporation (FTSEC) has switched on its 60-megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Toledo City in southwestern Cebu after it was awarded a certificate of compliance (COC) by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

In a statement on Wednesday, renewable energy company Citicore Power, Inc. (CPI), the mother firm of FTSEC, said the COC was given to the Cebu-based power plant operator last July 18.

“The COC is proof that a power plant complies with all the applicable regulations, deeming it safe to switch on and operate,” the company said.

With the grant of the COC, FTSEC has started dispatching electricity to the grid and will continue to do so.

Last July 6, the ERC also issued a COC to Next Generation Power Technology Corp. (NGPTC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CPI which operates an 18-MW solar power plant within the Freeport Area of Bataan in Mariveles.

According to the Revised COC Rules of 2014, no person or entity may engage in electricity generation unless it has secured a COC from the ERC to operate its facility.

“These COCs enable our two solar power plants in Bataan and Cebu to generate electricity that will serve the people. This is in line with one of our goals to become a compliant company that cares for the environment,” said Manolo Candelaria, CPI executive vice president for commercial and development operations.

CPI is also working to secure the COC for its third solar power plant located in Silay City, Negros Occidental, which operates under Silay Solar Power, Inc. (SSPI).

“With the clearance of our solar plants, Citicore Power sticks true to its mission to produce the most cost-efficient clean energy, promoting inclusive growth and creating opportunities in the communities where we operate,” CPI Energy Regulations Manager Rio Balaba said.

The company is committed to the development of not only solar power plants, but also of power stations that will utilize other types of renewable energy sources such as wind, biomass and hydro power.

FTSEC’s facility is located at Barangay Talavera in Toledo City, and is considered the largest solar power plant on Cebu island.

The project augments the energy supply in the Visayas grid by 48.96 MW and is seen to have a multiplier effect on the local economy as it stimulates business activities and improves the living condition of residents of the province.

During operations, the project will replace more than 157,000 barrels of crude oil equivalent per year from alternative power plants and is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 38,000 tons.

In October 2016, the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) granted a P4.375-billion loan to FTSEC to partially finance the construction of the Toledo solar power plant.

The project is currently the largest solar farm the institution has financed in a bid to help the country achieve independence through the development of renewable energy resources.