Citicore rooftop solar project running ahead of schedule

Citicore Power Inc. on Tuesday said work on a 6.62-megawatt rooftop solar project, intended to supply electricity to 14 buildings at the Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (Afab) in Mariveles, was ahead of schedule, with eight buildings now so-equipped and accounting for 2.84 MW of total.

The installation of solar panels at more than half of the 14 buildings covered was done within seven months or two months early, despite the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The early, though still partial, completion of our contract will allow the AFAB locators to harness solar energy and embed energy efficiency as an integral part of their operations already, which is also in line with the agency’s overall sustainability strategy,” Citicore president Oliver Tan said in a statement.

Tan said Citicore expected to complete the entire project this month, which would help Afab reduce its carbon emissions by 5,800 metric tons per year and also realize up to P5.3 million in energy savings yearly.

The entire project for Afab involves the installation of 14,756 pieces of monocrystalline photovoltaic panels that all together can generate up to 6,554 gigawatt-hours of electricity each year.

The rooftop system at one of the Afab buildings was commissioned in December 2020, and is now delivering power to Afab’s locators.

“This solar panel installation program demonstrates that with technological innovations and collaboration among partners, alternative energy sources can be harnessed and provide cost-effective solutions for electricity generation,” Tan said.

Citicore Power, which is affiliated with the Megawide group, owns and operates eight solar farms across the country and has a wide range of assets to address the evolving energy demands of its customers. The company also has hydro and biomass power generation assets.

Over the next five years, Citicore Power is rolling out a pipeline of projects that will add a total of 1,500 MW of solar power to its portfolio. INQ