SMC to build 200-MW solar farm in Bulacan

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corporation (SMC) plans to build a 200-MW solar farm on its 2,500-hectare property in Bulacan to help power its P740-billion New Manila International Airport project, as it expands efforts to sustainably transition to cleaner energy sources.

SMC’s international gateway project in Bulacan is seen to not only solve the worsening airport and traffic congestion in Metro Manila and give the Philippine economy a major boost. It is projected to generate trillions of dollars in economic activity and job opportunities, potentially contributing about 9 percent to GDP by 2025. Estimated annual impact to the economy would amount to nearly P900 billion.

More than that, the airport project is also betting on a green economy to have a dominant role in building a sustainable economy past the pandemic.

SMC president and COO Ramon S. Ang said the facility would be one of the largest in the country, representing one of the many projects the conglomerate –through its energy arm San Miguel Global Power – is developing to integrate renewables to its diversified power portfolio.

Ang said the company’s solar farm in Bulacan would come with a battery energy storage facility that can store power when generation is high, but power consumption is low, and can be released when the demand is high.

The circulating fluidized bed technology that SMC uses in its modern, state-of-the-art clean coal power plants ensures that emissions are way below both Philippine and international emission standards as it transitions to cleaner energy sources.

SMC also maintains a mix of renewable and non-renewable facilities, with hydropower and natural gas facilities in its portfolio. Its brand new LNG plants are a first in the country and a viable alternative to fossil-based power generation.

Ang said that SMC has also invested significantly in battery storage technology in various parts of the country to help stabilize power grids, minimize power wastage and provide reliable and affordable electricity coming from a mix of renewable and traditional sources.

The technology is seen to significantly encourage the use of more renewable energy in the long term, as storing power can address one of the main hindrances to wider adoption of renewable power, apart from high cost—that is, limited power source, such as sunlight or wind.