MTerra Solar in the Philippines has completed more than half of its first phase. Meralco PowerGen Corporation shared that 778 megawatts of solar panels are now installed. The original plan for this first phase was 750 megawatts. MTerra Solar sits in Nueva Ecija and Bulacan. This solar power site is planned to reach 3,500 megawatts when done. It will also have battery storage.
The battery energy storage for MTerra Solar will reach about 4,500 megawatt-hours when fully running. The power from the project will connect to the Nagsaag-San Jose Transmission Line through a new 500-kiloVolt link. This should help bring more stable electricity to Luzon.
MTerra Solar began construction about eight months ago. Over 9,500 workers have been part of the project. The company said workers logged more than 7.5 million safe man-hours so far. Phase one is on track to finish by early 2026. Phase two is planned for the following year.
When MTerra Solar is finished, it will supply clean power to around 2.4 million homes in the Philippines. It could also help cut about 4.3 million tonnes of carbon emissions each year. Meralco PowerGen wants to grow its renewable energy capacity and hit 1,500 megawatts by 2027. This new target comes three years sooner than its earlier goal.
Elsewhere, smaller renewable plans in the Philippines are moving ahead too. A new mini solar farm on rooftops in Quezon City provides 10 megawatts for local offices. In Cebu, a local group is testing solar lamps for remote fishing villages. These lamps help charge small boat batteries. This pilot uses only 0.1 megawatts of solar but helps families work at night.
MTerra Solar shows big projects can expand fast, but smaller ideas also help communities get renewable power step by step.
