Yuchengco firm’s Bohol solar farm cleared for commercial operations

YUCHENGCO-LED Dagohoy Green Energy Corp. (DGEC) has secured government approval to begin commercial operations of its 27.121-megawatt direct current (MWdc) solar power plant in Bohol, allowing it to export electricity to the Visayas grid.

In a statement on Monday, the company said the P1.17-billion Dagohoy Solar Power Plant is set for commercial operations on July 16, following the Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) approval of the plant’s provisional authority to operate.

It also secured approval from the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) for the facility’s commercial operations date in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), the venue for trading electricity.

DGEC is owned by Rizal Green Energy Corp. (RGEC), a joint venture between PetroGreen Energy Corp. (PGEC) and Taisei Corp. PGEC is the renewable energy subsidiary of publicly listed PetroEnergy Resources Corp.

RGEC’s portfolio includes the 19.61-MWdc San Jose plant in Nueva Ecija, which also awaits ERC and IEMOP approval for commercial operations, and the 25.01-MWdc Bugallon plant in Pangasinan and the 39.84-MWdc Limbauan solar plant in Isabela, both set for completion in late 2025.

“We are proud that our Dagohoy solar power facility is set to begin commercial operations in Bohol, adding much needed indigenous and clean energy in the province which has long relied on imported power from neighboring provinces and a few small capacity diesel and hydro power plants operating in the province,” said PGEC Assistant Vice-President Dave P. Gadiano.

The project’s formal commercial participation in the WESM marks the commencement of the company’s power supply agreement with its offtaker, SN Aboitiz Power Group.

The solar power project is expected to produce 41,000 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, enough to power more than 18,000 homes and contribute to grid stability in the region. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera