President welcomes ₧18-B Isabela Solar Power project

By Jovee Marie N. Dela Cruz @joveemarie

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. welcomed the P18-billion 440-megawatt (MW) peak Isabela Solar Power Project, which is seen to boost the administration’s renewable energy thrust as well as local job generation.

Officials of the San Ignacio Energy Resources Development Corp. (SIERDC), the main project implementor, briefed Marcos on the project this week in Malacañang, said the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) last Sunday.

SIERDC is part of the Nextnorth Energy Group, which is developing solar and hydro projects in Northern Luzon.

The PCO said the company will begin construction next year on a 400-hectare land in Ilagan City, Is- abela, currently being used for sugarcane and bioethanol production.

The solar power facility will start its operation by 2025.

According to project proponents, the solar power project could generate around 700 gigawatt-hours per year, which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of around 1 million households.

Around 2,200 workers could benefit from the project during various phases of construction, and more permanent workers when the facility becomes operational.

SIERDC is an affiliate of the Nextnorth Holdings Corp., a Philippine-based renewable energy (RE) developer of solar and hydro projects with around 480-MW potential energy capacity.

SIERDC partners with French RE company Total Eren SA in implementing the project. Total

Eren owns more than 3,700 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind capacity in operation or under construction and also has over 4,000 MW of projects under development worldwide.

The company has a 60-MW peak solar PV plant in Tarlac.

TotalEnergies SE, another Francebased company and Total Eren’s shareholder, has been operating in the Philippines since 1998.

One of the world’s largest energy companies, TotalEnergies is involved in solar power project development, fuel and lubricants distribution and petroleum logistics and storage in the country.

SIERDC and Total Eren signed a joint agreement in December last year to invest in the development of the Isabela solar project, with the latter providing financial and technical expertise.