ACEN eyes commercial operations of P26 billion Zambales solar farm in 2027

Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!

Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.

Visit Suniway.ph to learn

January 8, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines —  Ayala-led ACEN Corp. plans to start commercial operations of its P26-billion solar farm with battery storage in Zambales by 2027.

In a filing with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, ACEN unit Giga Ace 8 Inc. said the capacity of its existing solar project would rise to 420 megawatts-peak from 346 MWp after expansion.

The expansion project will also include a battery energy storage system (BESS) with a potential capacity of 1,325 MW-hours.

Based on the company’s indicative timeline, the existing solar project is expected to begin commercial operations early this year.

As of mid-November last year, the Giga Ace 8 Solar Power Project had reached an overall completion rate of 88.19 percent.

Meanwhile, construction of the additional solar capacity, along with the BESS component, is slated to start in the first quarter, with completion and operations targeted for early 2027.

“Overall, the project continues to move forward in accordance with key regulatory milestones and construction targets, with ongoing coordination among the development, engineering and development teams,” Giga Ace 8 said.

Giga Ace 8, a special-purpose vehicle for ACEN’s projects in the Philippines, aims to help meet the country’s growing power demand, especially in Luzon.

Since solar facilities cannot generate power at night, the company said the project’s BESS component is expected to bridge this gap.

In particular, the plant’s output will primarily be generated from solar power during daylight hours, with any excess solar generation stored in the BESS for use in the event of an energy shortfall.