Philippines’ First Megawatt-Scale Floating Solar Facility Now Operational in Cebu

Carmen Copper Corporation has inaugurated the Philippines’ first operating megawatt-scale floating solar power plant, a pioneering clean energy initiative set on the Malubog Reservoir within the company’s mine site in Toledo City, Cebu.

Spanning 3 hectares, the facility features 8,540 floating solar panels with a generation capacity of up to 4.99 megawatts (MW), capable of supplying approximately 10% of the mine’s electricity demand. The system, developed and designed by U.S.-based engineering firm Black & Veatch, is scalable up to 50 MW — a capacity that would enable Carmen Copper to fully power its operations using renewable energy alone.

The solar project includes a prefabricated substation and a 6-kilometer overhead distribution line, linking the floating photovoltaic (PV) array to the company’s 34.5-kilovolt substation. Construction was completed in 15 months, logging over 250,000 man-hours with zero lost-time incidents.

“This initiative reflects Carmen Copper’s commitment to responsible mining and environmental stewardship, while aligning with the Department of Energy’s target to have renewable energy account for at least half of the country’s total power capacity by 2040,” said Atty. Axel G. Tumulak, Head of Legal, Compliance, and Corporate Governance at Carmen Copper.

A wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation, Carmen Copper emphasized that the floating solar facility forms a crucial part of its sustainability roadmap aimed at lowering the carbon footprint of its mining operations.