President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr has inaugurated Citicore Solar (CS) Batangas 1, described as the Philippines’ first solar baseload power plant.
The energisation ceremony on 15 September 2025 in Tuy, Batangas was attended by Department of Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation (CREC) Chairman Edgar Saavedra, CREC President and CEO Oliver Tan, and other officials.
CS Batangas 1 is a 197MWp solar facility with a 320MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The storage element enables the plant to supply electricity beyond daylight hours, providing a baseload level of power.
“Our Citicore Solar Batangas 1 is the first in the Philippines to prove that solar can be true baseload power. This is a huge step forward in the country’s renewable energy transition. With 1.5GWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems in place, we are prepared to replicate this breakthrough starting in Batangas,” said Tan.
“This continuous innovation demonstrates not only our expertise in solar but also our commitment to hitting our 1GW target up to Q1 2026. Soon, our country will no longer have to rely on unclean energy and the uncertainties of fuel importation.
“Instead, we will be powered by homegrown, reliable, and pure renewable energy – bringing us closer to our vision of Powering a First-World Philippines with Pure Renewable Energy,” he added.
CREC’s 1GW pipeline includes 11 projects across Pangasinan, Pampanga, Batangas, Quezon and Negros Occidental, with three Batangas sites also hosting 760MWh of BESS.
These are scheduled for completion by the end of 2025, with the company estimating a reduction of almost 2.8bn tonnes of carbon emissions and capacity to supply electricity to around 800,000 homes annually.
“We always value our strong partnership with government – a collaboration we’ve consistently demonstrated from Megawide to Citicore,” said CREC Chairman Edgar Saavedra.
“With our experience and expertise in engineering, construction, and innovation, we are poised to complete our projects on time, with quality, and at a lower cost.”
CREC said its vertically integrated approach supports timely delivery of projects, while community initiatives include its AgroSolar programme and other schemes under the Citicore Foundation.
[Image credit: CREC]
