Citicore Launches Country’s First Baseload Solar Plant
- October 7, 2025
The Philippines has marked a milestone in its renewable energy transition with the launch of the country’s first baseload solar plant, combining solar power with advanced battery storage to deliver a round-the-clock supply.
Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation (CREC) officially switched on its CS Batangas 1 project in Tuy, Batangas, on September 15. The facility integrates a 197-megawatt peak (MWp) solar farm with a 320-megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS).
“This allows the solar facility to store and dispatch needed energy beyond the normal hours of solar (6 AM-5 PM), gaining the ability to provide a baseload level of power,” the company said in a statement.
(Also read: Success Stories from Countries Going Green)
Solar that never sleeps
“Our Citicore Solar Batangas 1 is the first in the Philippines to prove that solar can be true baseload power,” said Citicore Renewable President and CEO Oliver Tan.
Baseload power refers to electricity that can be supplied consistently, day and night, to meet the minimum demand of consumers. Traditionally, coal, natural gas, and geothermal plants have filled this role because they can run continuously.
Baseload solar combines solar farms with large-scale battery storage. During the day, excess solar power is stored in batteries. At night or during cloudy periods, the stored energy is released to the grid, making solar a dependable 24/7 power source.
This approach helps address intermittency—one of the main challenges of renewable energy—and supports grid stability.
“This is a huge step forward in the country’s renewable energy transition,” Tan added. “With a plan of 1.5 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery energy storage systems in place, we are prepared to replicate this breakthrough starting in Batangas.”
(Also read: 10 Insights from the Philippine Energy Q2 2025 Report)
Scaling up nationwide
The Batangas facility is part of a broader rollout, with CREC planning 11 more projects across Pangasinan, Pampanga, Batangas, Quezon, and Negros Occidental. Three of the projects in Batangas will also incorporate BESS facilities, totaling 760MWh. Slated for completion by the end of 2025, these projects will power approximately 800,000 households annually.
“This continuous innovation demonstrates not only our expertise in solar but also our commitment to hitting our 1 gigawatt target up to Q1 2026,” Tan shared.
“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,” Tan added.
(Also read: What’s Holding Back Foreign Investors in Renewable Energy?)
Sources:
https://asian-power.com/project/news/citicore-energises-first-solar-baseload-power-plant-in-ph
https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/15/philippines-first-solar-baseload-plant-energized
https://insiderph.com/philippines-gets-first-247-solar-power-as-tycoon-saavedras-citicore-turns-on-batangas-plant
https://tribune.net.ph/2025/09/15/citicore-rolls-out-first-solar-baseload-plant
