South Cotabato solar farm to rise

A SOLAR power project is set to rise in South Cotabato next year which can generate 99 megawatts (MW) and power over 82,000 households, according to the Department of Energy (DoE).

The Tantangan Solar Power Project, being developed by Apolaki Seven, Inc. and German developer ib vogt GmbH, is projected to generate over 150,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, the DoE said in a statement on Thursday.

According to the DoE, the facility will generate “clean, indigenous power” that will help Mindanao reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

“Today, we do more than break ground on a state-of-the-art solar facility — we celebrate a vital step toward our national energy aspirations under the National Renewable Energy Program,” said Undersecretary Mylene C. Capongcol.

“This project contributes meaningfully to our goal of increasing the renewable energy share in our power mix to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040,” she added.

At present, the share of renewable energy in the country’s power generation mix is 22%.

The initial phase of the solar project was awarded under the second round of the Green Energy Auction Program in 2023 and is slated for completion by end of 2026.

“This initial phase will mark a significant step towards realizing the project’s full potential and delivering its promised benefits to the people of Mindanao,” the DoE said.

As of February, the government has awarded a total of 1,411 renewable energy contracts with an equivalent total potential capacity of 154 gigawatts. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera