More than 82,000 households in Mindanao are expected to benefit from the Tantangan Solar Project in South Cotabato, according to the Department of Energy (DOE).

The solar project, which broke ground on Wednesday, is expected to provide cleaner and reliable power to communities around the municipality.

With a total capacity of 99 megawatt peak (MWp), the solar power project of Apolaki Seven, Inc., and ib vogt GmbH, is projected to generate more than 150,000 megawatt hour (MWh) of renewable energy annually.

Since the power plant runs on clean energy, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions are seen to be cut by around 66,000 tons per year, DOE said.

"Today, we do more than break ground on a state-of-the-art solar facility — we celebrate a vital step toward our national energy aspirations under the National Renewable Energy Program. This project contributes meaningfully to our goal of increasing the renewable energy share in our power mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040,” Energy Undersecretary Mylene Capongcol said during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Phase 1 of the project, which involves around 40 MW alternating current (MWAC), was awarded under the Green Energy Auction Program 2 (GEA-2) and is scheduled for completion by Dec. 31, 2026.

“This initial phase will mark a significant step towards realizing the project's full potential and delivering its promised benefits to the people of Mindanao,” the statement added.

PNA PHOTO