Apolaki Seven Inc. and German firm ib vogt GmbH broke ground Thursday on the 99-megawatt Tantangan Solar Project in South Cotabato, a move that officials say will provide cleaner, more sustainable energy for Mindanao.
“Today, we do more than break ground on a state-of-the-art solar facility — we celebrate a vital step toward our national energy aspirations under the National Renewable Energy Program,” Department of Energy Undersecretary Mylene Capongcol said during the ceremony. “This project contributes meaningfully to our goal of increasing the renewable energy share in our power mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.”
The solar initiative is expected to reduce carbon emissions while providing clean, reliable energy to more than 82,000 homes.
The project will generate more than 150,000 megawatt-hours of clean electricity annually, which is estimated to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 66,000 metric tons per year.
The facility is expected to provide wide-ranging benefits to Mindanao, including less reliance on imported fossil fuels, strengthened energy security and increased employment.
The first phase of the project, a 40-megawatt portion, was awarded under the Green Energy Auction Program 2 (GEA-2) and is scheduled for completion by Dec. 31, 2026.
This initial phase will mark a significant step towards realizing the project’s full potential and delivering its promised benefits to the people of Mindanao.
