MERALCO POWERGEN Corp. (MGEN), the power generation arm of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), has started commercial operations for the first phase of its P200-billion MTerra Solar Project.
In a statement on Thursday, MGEN said MTerra Solar Phase 1 declared commercial operations on Aug. 26 following the issuance of the final certificate of approval to connect by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).
NGCP approved the facility’s connection after it met requirements to safely and reliably connect and operate 950 megawatts alternating current (MWac) of solar capacity and an 825-megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system within the national grid, MGEN said.
“By combining solar power with battery storage at an unprecedented scale, we’re demonstrating how renewable energy can strengthen energy security, support economic growth, and build a more resilient and sustainable power system for our country,” MGEN Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said.
The MTerra Solar Project consists of a 3,500-megawatt-peak (MWp) solar farm and a 4,500-megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system.
MGEN said the project is set to become the world’s largest integrated solar power project upon completion.
The project spans about 3,500 hectares across five municipalities in Nueva Ecija and Bulacan.
In July, about 1,373 MWac of solar photovoltaic capacity and 825 MW of battery storage capacity were energized, the company said.
The project’s second phase is scheduled for completion next year and is expected to help MGEN exceed its renewable energy capacity target of 1,500 MW by 2027.
Once fully completed, MTerra Solar is expected to supply 850 MW of mid-merit renewable energy to Meralco under a power supply agreement and provide electricity equivalent to the consumption of about 2.4 million households, MGEN said.
“Reaching commercial operations reflects the determination, discipline, and exceptional work of thousands of people who helped bring this landmark facility to life,” MGEN President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel V. Rubio said.
“It also demonstrates what can be achieved when government and the private sector work together toward a shared national purpose,” he added.
Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
