Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation (CREC) announces the successful energization of Citicore Solar Batangas 1, the Philippines’ first baseload solar power plant.
The ceremonial switch-on event, held on 15 September 2025, was led by President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos, Jr., alongside Department of Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, CREC Chairman Edgar Saavedra, and CREC President and CEO Oliver Tan.
Located in Barangays Lumbangan and Luntal, Tuy, Batangas, Citicore Solar Batangas 1 boasts a 197-megawatt peak (MWp) solar capacity and a 320 megawatt-hour (MWh) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
This innovative combination enables the facility to store and dispatch energy beyond typical solar production hours, providing a reliable baseload power source.
“Our Citicore Solar Batangas 1 is a groundbreaking achievement, proving that solar energy can serve as a true baseload power source,” said CREC President and CEO Oliver Tan.
“This milestone is a significant step in the Philippines’ renewable energy transition, bringing us closer to our vision of powering a first-world Philippines with pure renewable energy.”
On Track for 1GW of Renewable Energy by 2025
CREC is on course to complete its first gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy by the end of 2025.
This includes 11 facilities across Pangasinan, Pampanga, Batangas, Quezon, and Negros Occidental, with three Batangas projects incorporating BESS totaling 760MWh.
Once operational, these projects will reduce approximately 2.8 billion tons of carbon emissions annually and generate enough electricity to power 800,000 homes.
Nine of these projects have secured 20-year offtake agreements through the Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP)-2 and are certified as Energy Projects of National Significance (CEPNS) by the Department of Energy.
Empowering Communities Through the AgroSolar Initiative
CREC continues to strengthen its partnerships with local governments and communities through its Citicore AgroSolar Initiative, which integrates agricultural crop production with solar energy generation.
This program provides farmers with employment opportunities, while CREC shoulders the costs of seeds, equipment, and crop offtake.
Proceeds are reinvested into the program, enhancing community livelihoods and supporting national food security.
Other community programs by the Citicore Foundation include Brigada and Balik Eskwela, Usbong Scholarships, Training 2 Employment, Pailaw Solar Street Lighting, EcoShed Solar Upcycling, and Communitree Tree Planting.
