MTerra Solar starts exporting power to grid

MTERRA SOLAR, the world’s largest battery-integrated solar power project, has begun exporting an initial 250 megawatts (MW) to the grid, Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGEN) said.

In a statement on Monday, MGEN said MTerra Solar has also energized the first tranche of its battery energy storage system, allowing the plant to deliver up to 450 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy to the grid at night.

“The project’s phased energization enables earlier delivery of capacity to the grid, helping ease supply constraints and supporting efforts to maintain stable electricity prices amid evolving global conditions,” MGEN President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel V. Rubio said.

MTerra Solar was initially authorized to export up to 85 MW of firm power to the grid as part of testing and commissioning activities.

Located across Bulacan and Nueva Ecija, the P200-billion MTerra Solar project is expected to generate up to 3,500 megawatt-peak (MWp) of solar power, supported by a 4,500-MWh battery energy storage system.

The project is being developed in phases, with full commercial operations targeted by 2027.

Once completed, the project is expected to generate enough clean energy to supply about 2.4 million households.

In a separate statement, the Department of Energy  said the project supports efforts to strengthen the country’s energy security amid continued volatility in global oil markets driven by developments in the Middle East.

“Every megawatt of domestic capacity that we bring into the grid strengthens our ability to withstand external shocks, protect consumers, and preserve system reliability,” Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said.

“Amid the Middle East conflict, accelerating the development of renewable energy and storage is both a strategic necessity and a national imperative,” she added.

MGEN is the power generation arm of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s largest private electric distribution utility, serving more than 8.2 million customers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera