ACEN unit to build solar farm in Zambales
By Lenie Lectura – November 12, 2024
from Business Mirror
Giga Ace 8, Inc., a subsidiary of ACEN Corp., will put up a P26-billion solar farm, which will be supported by a battery energy storage system (BESS), in Palauig, Zambales.
The 420-megawatt peak (MWp) solar farm is intended to augment power supply in Luzon where there is a projected shortfall in generating capacity. Giga Ace 8 said this situation “creates an attractive opportunity for solar development in Zambales.”
“The Giga Ace 8 Solar Power Project aims to achieve sustainable development and supply electricity to the Luzon Grid to address the expected lack of supply and increasing demand for power. Aside from the employment opportunities that the project presents, the project intends to construct a means to harness clean and renewable energy for Luzon,” the company said in a filing with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB).
However, a major limitation of solar power plants is their inability to supply power during nighttime. To address this concern, Giga ACE 8 will also install a BESS that will be charged solely from solar energy. The integration of this BESS with the solar plant will have an output of up to 200 MW, which is planned to be from 9 AM to 9 PM or until the BESS is fully discharged.
During solar hours, the plant’s output will primarily come from solar generation. Any excess solar generation will be stored in the BESS, while any energy deficit during this period will be supplied by the BESS. As solar generation diminishes, the battery will start to discharge into the grid until it is fully depleted.
The final project capacity is 420 MWp for the solar power plant and 347 MW (installed power capacity)/ 1,238.5 MWh (usable energy capacity)/ 271.93 MWh (output capacity) for the BESS.
Giga Ace 8 said the proposed project site was chosen because of its accessibility and potential solar irradiance. Moreover, all roads leading to the project site in Palauig, Zambales are already paved and can easily be traversed by all types of land vehicles thus facilitating easier transport of construction supplies.
The company said it is currently in the feasibility, permitting and licensing, and detailed engineering phase for the proposed project. The construction of the components under the existing environmental compliance certificate is ongoing and is scheduled to be finished by the first quarter of 2026. The commercial operation of these components is targeted in the second quarter of 2026.
The construction within the additional area is set in the first quarter of 2026 until the third quarter of 2030, with commercial operations scheduled in the last quarter of 2030.–
