Citicore energises Philippines’ first baseload solar with 320-MWh battery facility

• Citicore switched on a 197-MWp solar plant in Luzon paired with 320-MWh storage, billed as the Philippines’ first “baseload” solar project.

Citicore Renewable Energy has brought online what it bills as the Philippines’ first “baseload” solar project: a 197-MWp photovoltaic plant in Luzon coupled with a 320-MWh battery energy storage system. The configuration shifts daytime generation into the evening peak and allows the operator to deliver a firm block of power under contract—hence the baseload label—while still dispatching quickly for grid support.

The timing is right. Philippine grids are wrestling with volatile prices and tight evening margins as demand rises across industry, retail and data-heavy services. By co-locating batteries, Citicore turns intermittent energy into a dispatchable product: store when the sun is high, deliver when demand and prices spike, and provide fast frequency response when the system wobbles. A single interconnection for both assets also trims losses and speeds permitting compared with standalone sites.

Technically, the plant follows the modern hybrid playbook—single-axis trackers and high-efficiency modules sized with a DC/AC ratio aimed at maximizing annual yield rather than chasing clipped peaks. The battery’s multi-hour duration is tuned for shifting into the early evening while keeping headroom for grid services. On the controls side, expect grid-forming inverter capabilities, voltage support and rapid curtailment response to meet operator requirements.

Commercially, hybrids widen the revenue stack beyond energy alone. Capacity value, ancillary services and potential participation in flexibility programs add resilience to cash flows, which matters for lenders. For consumers, more firm clean megawatts should translate into fewer price spikes and less reliance on oil-fired peakers—particularly during hot, still evenings.

This project is also a template. As solar penetration deepens across the archipelago, hybrids near load centers will become the default. Expect future phases to standardize equipment platforms, replicate substation designs and compress commissioning timelines as developers, utilities and regulators get comfortable with the operating envelope of solar-plus-storage