• The 120 MW Gigasol Alaminos in Laguna is AC Energy’s second solar project to start operations this year, a critical support to remediate the ongoing power shortage
  • It is the second largest solar plant in the Philippines, and can generate enough power to supply clean energy to approximately 80,000 homes
  • AC Energy has integrated a circular approach in the solar farm’s construction site, with 32,540 kg of plastic waste already upcycled into eco-bricks and utilized in building the solar plant facilities

22 June 2021 – AC Energy’s 120 MW GigaSol Alaminos in Laguna, one of the country’s largest solar farms, is now operational and started exporting renewable energy into the grid. It is the company’s second solar farm to go online this year, adding a significant contribution to its rapidly expanding renewables portfolio.

Apart from generating sustainable energy that can power approximately 80,000 homes while avoiding 111,034.37 MT CO2e of greenhouse gases, the GigaSol Alaminos solar farm is notable for its pioneering Sustainability Hub where AC Energy has started to integrate the circular approach.

“We are pleased to add much needed capacity to the grid as electricity supply remains tight. AC Energy has already added 183 MW of solar capacity to the grid earlier this year, and we also expect to start the operations of the 150 MW Ingrid Power quick response thermal plant in Pililla, Rizal in the next few weeks,” said AC Energy President and CEO Eric Francia. “We have another 276 MW of renewables capacity under construction in the Philippines, with plans to double this capacity before the end of the year.”

As AC Energy continues to expand its renewables footprint in Asia Pacific, the Philippines remains to be the company’s core market. Amidst the pandemic, AC Energy carried out the construction of various renewable energy projects including the 4 MW Bataan RE Tech Hub, the 40 MW Alaminos Battery Storage in Laguna, the 72 MW Arayat-Mexico Solar in Pampanga, and the 160 MW GigaWind in Ilocos Norte. These renewable energy projects are critical additions to the energy space as a disruptive power shortage persists.

“In further augmenting our generating capacity amidst the pandemic, we were able to build a solid platform from which we can continue our rapid renewables acceleration in the region, while also helping the country to “build back better”,” said Jose Maria Zabaleta, AC Energy’s Chief Development Officer. “We were able to create jobs and help build economic resilience while playing a significant role in aiding the country’s energy security.”

AC Energy remains committed in creating shared value for all its stakeholders by embedding sustainability in its corporate strategy. The company partnered with Green Antz to pilot the circular approach in the Gigasol Alaminos solar farm. A total of 32,540 kg of plastic collected from the solar panel packaging materials in the project construction site, the equivalent of about 25 compact size cars, have been diverted from landfills to be upcycled into eco-bricks and used in building facilities within the plant. GigaSol Alaminos also features a Tree Nursery, with a target to produce 120,000 seedlings in three years and is also surrounded by Ayala Land’s Carbon Forest, a woodland reserve that acts as a carbon trap and home to biodiversity. Plans to develop an Eco-Learning Facility where students and other visitors can gain knowledge about renewable energy and sustainability are underway. AC Energy envisions to recreate this pilot Sustainability Hub to fulfill its goal of protecting the environment, creating jobs to reignite the economy, and engaging its host communities meaningfully while creating clean energy.

“AC Energy’s robust line up of projects allows it to play an integral role in the green-led recovery, which is especially critical as the economy gradually reopens and demand for power picks up. AC Energy is in an excellent position to attain its vision of reaching 5,000 MW of renewables by 2025 and realize its aspiration of becoming the largest listed renewables platform in Southeast Asia,” reaffirms Francia.