As the country’s largest power distributor, the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has been actively participating in developing the country’s renewable energy resources —solar in particular — as part of its broader strategy to embrace a sustainable energy future.

Meralco, through its subsidiary Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGen), has been driving initiatives in expanding its renewable energy portfolio and reduce fossil fuel dependency to support the country’s clean energy transition.

Terra Solar Philippines Inc. (TSPI), MGen’s cornerstone renewable energy project through SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC), is developing the MTerra Solar Project — envisioned to be the world’s largest integrated solar and battery storage facility.

Spanning 3,500 hectares across Nueva Ecija and Bulacan, the over P200 billion MTerra Solar project will consist of 3,500 megawatts peak (MWp) photovoltaic (PV) capacity, complemented by a 4,500 megawatt-hours (MWhr) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) capacity — positioning Meralco at the forefront of renewable energy innovation in Southeast Asia.

Reinforcing Meralco’s commitment to sustainability, this massive project will play a pivotal role in the Philippines’ push to develop renewable energy sources and achieve long-term energy security.

At a national level, the project aligns with the government’s renewable energy goals of 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040. As of end-2023, the country’s installed renewable energy capacity stands at almost 30 percent of total energy mix.

As it is set to be largest solar and battery energy storage project globally, MTerra Solar not only accelerates this transition but also sets a benchmark for other nations.

Construction in full swing

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Meralco Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan recently led the ceremonial groundbreaking for MTerra Solar.

“We take a leap towards the future driven by innovation and sustained by our collective hope for a cleaner and greener Philippines. We stand together at the site of what will become the largest integrated solar and battery storage facility in the world — the MTerra Solar Project. This landmark project will put our country on the map as a leader in renewable energy,” President Marcos Jr. said during the ceremony.

“The MTerra Solar power project is designed to address two critical challenges of our time: the surging demand for electricity and the pressing need to shift to renewable and sustainable sources of energy,” he added.

Once completed, MTerra Solar is expected to supply clean energy to approximately 2.4 million households and avoid carbon emissions by an estimated 4.3 million tons annually, equivalent to removing over 3 million gasoline-powered vehicles from the roads every year.

“Numbers alone fail to articulate the full significance of this project. We are making a statement today that the Philippines is not only keeping pace with the global energy transition but more, we are expressing our intention, the Philippines’ intention, to lead the migration from thermal to renewables,” Pangilinan said.

“We will build, we will take action, and we will never stop daring. At the end, this is all showing the world what Filipinos can achieve when the public and private sectors work together with focus and urgency,” he added.

The MTerra Solar Project is set to deliver clean solar energy under a 20-year, 850-MW mid-merit power supply agreement to Meralco. The initial block of 600 MW is slated for delivery by February 2026, while the remaining 250 MW will follow in February 2027.

This not only conforms with the Renewable Portfolio Standards of the Department of Energy (DoE) but also reinforces Meralco’s pledge to source 1,500 MW of its power supply requirements from renewable energy.

A cornerstone in the Philippines’ clean energy transition, MTerra Solar’s hybrid Solar PV-BESS system ensures stable and reliable power, potentially rivaling traditional baseload sources.

Beyond environmental benefits, the project also offers significant socio-economic contributions — creating more than 10,000 jobs during the construction phase and generating community benefits expected to reach around P23 billion over the next decade through taxes and economic development.