Blueleaf Energy Philippines, through its projects with local joint venture partners, aims to build approximately 1.5GW floating solar portfolio in Laguna.
NKS Solar One- a 250MW floating solar project to be situated in Caliraya and Lumot Lakes in Laguna is expected to be the first utility-scale floating solar project in the country. The project which aims to start construction by Q4 2024, emerged as one of the winners in the Department of Energy’s second round of Green Energy Auction Program in 2023 and is targeting to be online by the first quarter of 2026.
Through a joint venture with SunAsia, Blueleaf Energy Philippines will co-develop BlueSolar, a 1.3GW floating solar facility in Laguna Lake.
In August 2023. Laguna Lake Development Authority and the partners signed a Renewable Energy Contract Area Utilization Agreement for the 10 blocks of hundred hectares each in Laguna Lake. The project will span the towns of Cabuyao, Sta. Rosa, Calamba, Victoria, and Bay.
Both projects will provide much needed additional capacity for the Luzon grid and will contribute in the country’s renewable energy targets.
Blueleaf Energy Philippines’ President Chris Chua shares the company’s vision is to “accelerate the energy transition in the Philippines through innovative renewable energy solutions for a net-zero future”.
With competing land use, floating solar technology has been adopted in other countries including Japan, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, among others. Unlike ground mounted solar, floating solar technologies require less land preparation, and increases photovoltaic (PV) efficiency due to cooling effect of water.
Rafael Macabiog, Head of Projects shares “With the adoption of floating solar, more land can be allocated for other productive uses. For NKS Solar One, we are utilizing current reservoir such as Caliraya and Lumot man-made lakes which are purposely created for power generation”.