ACEN Corp. is building nearly 1 gigawatt (GW) of solar and battery storage projects in Zambales that will expand its clean energy portfolio, strengthen the power grid, and support the country's energy security.

"At ACEN, we believe renewable energy projects should create value far beyond the electricity they generate," Miguel de Jesus, managing director and chief operating officer for Philippine Development and Operations, said in a disclosure on Monday.

"In Zambales, we are not only building one of the country's largest renewable energy hubs—we are investing in infrastructure, creating local jobs, supporting indigenous communities, and strengthening the country's long-term energy security," he added.

The Ayala-led energy company reported that it has a total of 948 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity in the province through the 585-MW SanMar Solar project and the 363-MW Palauig Solar project. 

About 450 MW is already operating, while the rest is under construction and scheduled for completion by next year.

The SanMar Solar project was developed on more than 500 hectares of previously unused lahar-covered land, while the Palauig Solar project is one of the country's largest solar developments.

ACEN has also started building 1,660 megawatt-hours of battery energy storage systems across its Zambales solar projects to improve reliability and support more renewable energy on the grid.

The batteries will store excess solar power generated during the day and supply electricity during peak demand and periods of lower solar output, helping stabilize the grid.

Once fully operational, the Zambales projects are expected to generate about 1,400 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually, enough to power around 340,000 households while reducing the country's dependence on imported fossil fuels.

To connect the projects to the Luzon grid, ACEN has completed 14 kilometers of transmission lines and is building another 22 kilometers.

The projects have also generated jobs for host communities. Around 80 percent of the workforce came from nearby areas, most of them members of the Ayta Indigenous Peoples community.

ACEN also built about six kilometers of roads and bridges, improving access to schools, hospitals and markets for remote communities.

Once fully operational, the projects are expected to avoid about 800,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, equivalent to removing around 175,000 gasoline-powered vehicles from the road each year.

ACEN currently has about 7 GW of attributable renewable energy capacity across operational, under-construction and committed projects in the Philippines and overseas, to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.