ACEN cited for clean energy contributions

MANILA, Philippines —  The Department of Energy (DOE) has recognized Ayala-led ACEN Corp. for its significant contributions to advancing the country’s ambitious energy transition push.

ACEN emerged victorious at the inaugural DOE Sustainable Energy Awards 2024 for its 81-megawatt (MW) North Luzon Renewables (NLR) wind project in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.

The awards program aims to honor exceptional efforts in promoting renewable energy (RE) innovation, best practices and impactful achievements.

Recognized under the category of RE projects in on-grid areas, the ACEN project was cited for its outstanding role in fostering a secure, reliable, clean and resilient energy sector.

The wind project currently generates around 205,000 MWh of clean energy annually, enough to power around 50,000 homes and avoid 144,000 metric tons of carbon emissions per year.

“This recognition is especially meaningful as it coincides with the 10th anniversary of NLR’s operations. The success of NLR reflects ACEN’s unwavering commitment to sustainability and our vision of an RE-powered future,” ACEN president and CEO Eric Francia said.

The award, he added, also affirmed the impact of the company’s initiatives on addressing both environmental and socio-economic needs of the host communities.

Home to ACEN’s pioneering Conservation Estate, the NLR wind farm has been injecting clean power into the Luzon grid since 2014, positioning Ilocos Norte as one of the top RE hubs in the country.

Through the Sustainable Energy Awards program, the DOE celebrates the dedication and excellence of stakeholders in the renewables sector.

Aside from RE projects in on-grid areas, the agency also awarded those that have offered clean energy solutions to private institutions and local government units.

This year, the DOE reviewed 246 entries and selected one winner for each category.

“We recognize that the Philippines has made significant progress in its energy transition with RE at the heart of the efforts. Our goal is to sustain and build on this momentum,” Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said.

Under the Philippine Energy Plan, the government wants to expand the share of renewables in the country’s energy mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040 from the current 22 percent.

“We are heartened by the strong support we have received from both the private and public sectors. Given this progress, we believe it is the right time to formally recognize and celebrate the remarkable contributions of our stakeholders and partners,” Guevara said.

As the listed energy platform of the Ayala Group, ACEN aims to scale up its attributable RE capacity to 20 gigawatts over the next six years.

Currently, the company has a global generation portfolio of around 6.8 GW, consisting of over three GW in fully operational assets, 2.3 GW in projects under construction and 1.4 GW worth of committed projects.