P512 million grid link eyed for Aboitiz solar plant

January 9, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — An Aboitiz Power Corp. unit is allocating roughly P512.16 million to connect its large-scale solar farm with battery storage in Negros Occidental to the Visayas grid.

Aboitiz-led South Cleanergy Inc. (CSI) has sought Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approval for the grid connection of Luna Solar Power Project, comprising a 239.56-megawatt-peak solar facility equipped with a 306-MW-hour battery storage.

In its application, the company proposed to develop, own and operate dedicated point-to-point limited transmission facilities that will be linked to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines’ 230-kilovolt Cadiz substation.

CSI said connecting the dedicated facility project to the substation will allow Luna Solar to inject power into the grid.

The Cadiz substation, located about 4.95 kilometers from the proposed site, is the “best option” for the solar facility’s grid interconnection, the company noted.

The ERC, in an order issued on Tuesday, deemed CSI’s application sufficient in form and scheduled a hearing and summary proceedings on Feb. 9 to assess the proposal’s compliance with jurisdictional requirements.

According to CSI, components of the dedicated facility project include a substation, point-to-point lines and associated accessories.

The estimated cost may still vary depending on the final pricing from the engineering, procurement and construction contractor, it said.

“SCI needs to immediately test, commission and dispatch (Luna Solar) upon its completion to avoid unnecessary delays that can lead to opportunity costs and contribute to the rising demand growth,” the company said.

“Thus, it is necessary for SCI’s Luna Solar to be connected to the grid, through the dedicated facility project, at the earliest possible opportunity,” it added.

Section 9 of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act allows generation companies to develop, own and operate dedicated transmission facilities to connect their projects to the grid.

Such facilities, however, must be built solely for connecting to the transmission network and used exclusively by the generating plants, subject to prior ERC approval.

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