UGEP to develop 700 MW of solar energy projects in 4 years

Betting on the potential of solar power in the country, Upgrade Energy Philippines (UGEP) will beef up its portfolio in the next four years by building up to 700 megawatts (MW) of projects.

These will include both utility-scale and commercial and industrial solar rooftop and ground-mounted projects, UGEP said in a statement over the weekend.

“We are very bullish on the growth of solar [power] in the country,” UGEP president and chief executive Ruth Yu-Owen said. “UGEP creates efficient and sustainable power solutions for its clients. We are backed by the strong experience of our shareholders and management team.”

UGEP, first established in 2015 as a joint venture between renewable energy firm PhilCarbon Inc. and Belgian company Upgrade Energy, develops and maintains commercial and industrial solar projects in the country.

Its most recent client is Gokongwei-led conglomerate JG Summit Holdings Inc., which partnered with UGEP for a 13.8-MW rooftop solar project for its renewable energy unit’s facility in Batangas province.

Construction for the project that covers the rooftops of Merbau Corp.’s nine buildings began in August 2022.Joint venture

The facility houses JG Summit Olefins Corp.’s manufacturing plants and the packaging division of Universal Robina Corp.

The first phase, which had a capacity of 5.8 MW, was finished in December 2022, while the second phase with an 8-MW capacity was completed in April last year.

UGEP also recently entered into a joint venture with AboitizPower Distributed Renewables Inc. to pursue rooftop and ground-mounted solar projects for commercial and industrial consumers.

In 2023, the company secured its first solar energy operating contract with the Department of Energy for the development of a 50-MW utility-scale solar project in Batangas province, UGEP said in its website. INQ