A groundbreaking 100-megawatt (MW) floating solar power facility, the first in Visayas and Mindanao, is set to be constructed in Cadiz City, northern Negros Occidental.
The project is a collaboration between Zonal Renewables Corp. (ZRC) and property owner A.M. Hijos Inc. (AMHI), known for their prominent Montelibano family ties in the region. The facility will be located on a 90-hectare fishpond in Barangay Tinampaan.
While specific details such as project cost and construction timelines remain undisclosed, the Montelibano family views this endeavor as their contribution to the government’s decarbonization efforts, as a floating solar power project can sequester around 1,250 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to planting 357,500 trees each year.
The project is aligned with the Philippines’ push for a carbon-neutral future. The signing of this agreement coincides with a favorable outlook for renewable energy (RE) projects in Negros Occidental, partly due to enhanced transmission capabilities through the Cebu-Negros-Panay Grid Interconnection project.
This initiative solidifies Cadiz City’s reputation as the province’s renewable energy capital, complementing the existing 132-MW Home Vena Energy’s Helios Solar Power Plant (HSPP) in the same area, one of the largest solar facilities in Southeast Asia and the seventh largest globally, occupying 176 hectares.
