KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato (PIA) -- Solar developer ib vogt Philippines Inc. will soon establish a solar power plant in South Cotabato that could contribute at least 96 megawatts (mW) of electricity to the Mindanao grid.

Rodelio Soriano, business development head of ib vogt Philippines, told the Philippine Information Agency that Apolaki Seven Inc., a subsidiary of ib vogt, has been given the green light for the project.

“We recently secured the solar energy operating contract for the project, and it’s good for 96 megawatt peak (mWp) of solar power. In the previously conducted Clean Energy Auction Program by the Department of Energy (DOE), nanalo ang Apolaki Seven. Itong project natin [this project], we are guaranteed a fixed tariff for 20 years. That’s why I am telling everybody here tuloy na tuloy na tuloy na 'yung project [the project is sure to push],” Soriano said in an interview during the Renewable Energy (RE) Investment and Business Forum on Friday, October 13.

Soriano also revealed that the project will cost P4.1 billion.

“Our commitment to the Department of Energy is that we will deliver the project by December 2026, but the objective of the company right now is to fast-track the development of the project so that we will be able to already inject capacity or energy into the grid by 2025,” Soriano said.

He also revealed that the solar power plant will be built on 93 hectares of “nonproductive” land in the Municipality of Tantangan.

Ib vogt first poured capital into South Cotabato in 2013 by establishing a ground-mounted solar power plant in Barangay Centrala, Surallah. The power plant, which became operational in 2015, produces 6.2 mWp of energy.

In his report during the RE investment and business forum, Soriano noted that the solar power plant in Surallah saves 7,200 tons of carbon dioxide annually and provides clean energy to at least 8,740 households. 

The South Cotabato Economic and Investment Promotion Center (SCEIPC), which organized the event, welcomed officials and representatives of the local government, prospective investors, and the power distribution utility, as well as those from the DOE and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) during the forum.

“The primary objective of the forum is to capacitate the provincial government of South Cotabato, especially the SCEIPC, to streamline the process pertaining to renewable energy because we believe that the process in dealing with investors on renewable energy is quite tedious,” Tyron Jann Villanueva, chief of the SCEIPC, explained.

Villanueva stated that the recent influx of potential investors, including those exploring solar farm investments, prompted the [event], during which they sought assistance from the provincial government.

An investor from China, Villanueva said, is looking for at least 500 hectares to build another solar energy plant in the province. (DED – PIA SOCCSKSARGEN)