AboitizPower to build solar power plant in Pangasinan
BY LENIE LECTURA- MAY 21, 2021
from Business Mirror
Aboitiz Power Corp. (AboitizPower) will start the construction of a 74-megawatt (MW) solar power facility in Pangasinan within the second half of the year.
The solar project, to be built in Cayanga in the town of Bugallon, about 13 kilometers southwest of the provincial capital of Lingayen, recently received board approval and is now in the development stage.
“We are very excited about this because this is another step towards achieving our 10-year strategy with regard to significantly increasing our RE (renewable energy) capacity and aiming for a 50:50 balance between our Cleanergy and thermal portfolios,” Aboitiz Power President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel V. Rubio said.
The company is targeting commercial operations by the fourth quarter of 2022.
The Cayanga project will be the company’s second solar power venture after its 59-MW-peak facility in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, which was inaugurated in 2016.
“Majority of the solar facility’s capacity will be contracted for retail electricity supply, which we hope can help bring more sustainable energy to homes and businesses in the country,” Rubio added.
The company said this will give contestable customers another option to go green, in line with AboitizPower’s commitment to being an effective partner for progress and driving change for the people today as well as for generations to come.
The Office of Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino III communicated that they fully support the proposed solar project as this reinforces the provincial government’s thrust to transform Pangasinan into the best place to invest, work, live, and raise a family.
“Aboitiz has our full support. We are glad that they have chosen our province and the town of Bugallon as the site for this venture, which will definitely empower our mission of making Pangasinan number one,” Espino told the AboitizPower team during a recent courtesy visit.
AboitizPower said it continues to invest in other RE projects, such as geothermal, large hydro, and wind facilities across the Philippines.
The company is committed to supporting the government’s thrust to promote renewable energy in the country and its growth aspirations over the years, as well as backing the global movement for clean energy.
