Gurīn Energy, a Singapore-headquartered renewable energy developer, owner and operator, announced the completion of its 75-megawatt (MW) solar plant in Zambales province, its first operational project in the Philippines.
Located in the municipality of Palauig, the 80-hectare Palauig Solar Power Plant installed 136,363 of the latest ground-mounted, energy-efficient solar photovoltaic panels.
The solar farm will produce enough clean and zero-emission electricity to avoid 53,100 metric tons of climate-changing emissions annually, or the equivalent of taking 11,500 combustion-engine cars off the road per year.
The project is owned by Shizen Inc, a fully-owned subsidiary of Gurīn Energy.
“The completion of the Palauig Solar Power Plant, our first operational project, is a milestone in Gurīn Energy’s drive to help move Asia to 100 percent renewable energy,” said Bob Driscoll, chief operating officer at Gurīn Energy.
“Our achievement is reflective of the ongoing support we have received from the communities in Palauig, to whom we express our thanks. We are also grateful to our sole bank partner UnionBank of the Philippines who provided project financing for the plant, our partners including Aboitiz Power Corp., Radio Veritas and to the national, provincial and municipal authorities,” he said.
The company signed a partnership with AboitizPower’s retail electricity units Adventenergy Inc. and Adventpower Inc. for the offtake of the solar farm, ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of clean energy to the latter’s commercial and industrial customers.
The company also unveiled the Cari Leviste Azores Visit Solar Education Program, an immersive field experience for public school students at the Palauig solar farm.
The program aims to teach students about renewable energy; enhance science education by demonstrating real-world applications; and inspire them to consider careers in sustainability and clean energy.
The program, named in honor of the late Cari Leviste Azores of the Leviste family who had played a pivotal role in the development of the project, is free to all Philippines primary and secondary schools and will begin welcoming visitors from October 2025.
Joey Leviste Jr., senior advisor to Gurīn Energy and chairman of Shizen, said that through the Cari Leviste Azores Visit Solar Education Program, “we hope that the next generation of Filipinos will be inspired to pursue careers in clean energy and sustainability.”
“The Philippines set a goal to raise the share of renewable energy in the national power mix to 35 percent by 2030, making it important to begin attracting talent to the sector,” he said.