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Aboitiz Power Corp. is expanding its solar pipeline in Ilocos Norte, with subsidiary Northern Luzon Green Power Inc. (NLGPI) filing an application with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for approval to build and operate a ₱564.6-million dedicated transmission facility that will connect its 187-megawatt-peak Talingaan-Laoag Solar Power Project to the Luzon grid.
In separate filings, NLGPI asked the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to clear the construction of interconnection facilities linking the hybrid solar plant to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines’ (NGCP) 230-kilovolt Laoag substation in Ilocos Norte.
Dedicated Transmission Facility
The proposed dedicated facility will consist of high-voltage equipment, point-to-point transmission lines and related accessories that will be used exclusively by the Talingaan-Laoag project. The interconnection will include a 6.5-kilometer double-circuit 230-kV transmission line using both overhead and underground cables.
NLGPI said the facility is necessary to allow the immediate testing, commissioning and dispatch of the solar plant once completed, in order to avoid delays and potential opportunity costs amid rising electricity demand.
“The dedicated facility project is necessary to test, commission and dispatch the capacity of the Talingaan-Laoag SPP and shall be exclusively utilized by NLGPI,” the company said in its filing.
Under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, generation companies may develop and own dedicated transmission facilities solely to connect their plants to the grid, subject to prior approval by the ERC. NLGPI has also sought provisional authority or interim relief while awaiting the commission’s decision.
Project Details And Timeline
The Talingaan-Laoag Solar Power Project, located near the Ilocos Norte sand dunes in Barangay Talingaan, will have a capacity of 187.044 MW peak. It will be paired with a battery energy storage system (BESS), with filings citing capacities of 56 MW and approximately 277 megawatt-hours to support plant operations.
The solar project itself is valued at P15.9 billion. NLGPI entered into a solar energy operating contract with the Department of Energy on April 26, 2024, covering the development of resources in the area. In line with the contract, the company is required to construct a dedicated point-to-point facility linking the plant to the NGCP substation.
Based on submissions to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, construction is targeted to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026. Energization is aimed for the first quarter of 2028, with commercial operations expected by the third quarter of the same year. NLGPI will operate and maintain the dedicated facility once commercial operations commence.
Renewable Push In Ilocos
Earlier disclosures showed that the Talingaan-Laoag project forms part of Aboitiz Power Corp.’s broader renewable energy expansion in Ilocos Norte. Through subsidiaries, the company previously outlined plans for two solar projects in the province with a combined capacity of 538.48 MW and over 600 MWh of battery storage, representing investments exceeding P34.5 billion.
Aside from the Talingaan-Laoag project, another Aboitiz subsidiary, Northern Sun Power Inc., has proposed a 351.436-MW solar project in barangays Bimmanga and Paguludan-Salindeg in Currimao. The project will include a 337.8-MWh battery energy storage system and is targeted for energization in the third quarter of 2028, with commercial operations expected in the first quarter of 2029.
The two projects form part of the group’s broader renewable energy pipeline in the province.
Source:
https://manilastandard.net/business/314706281/aboitiz-unit-seeks-erc-nod-for-solar-link.html
https://manilastandard.net/business/314609412/aboitiz-plans-2-solar-projects-in-ilocos-norte.html