Philippines to Pursue $1 Billion Floating Solar Power Project

MANILA, Philippines — Gunkul Engineering Public Co. Ltd., a Thailand-based power giant, has teamed up with homegrown SunAsia Energy Inc. to build a $1-billion floating solar project in Laguna province. The project, eyed to have about 1,000 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity, is set to be the biggest floating solar project in the region. READ: SunAsia pitches P 12-B floating solar plants in Laguna According to SunAsia, the large-scale solar asset would require engineering solutions tailored to the water conditions of Laguna de Bay, such as humidity, corrosion, wind, waves and other environmental and mechanical stresses. “SunAsia is working with floating solar experts across the region, drawing on a century of engineering knowledge and experience to design for the future while anticipating risks today and building resilience for the years ahead,” said Karlo Abril, vice president for strategic projects at SunAsia Energy Inc. SunAsia president and CEO Tetchi Capellan, meanwhile, said the tie-up with Gunkul would “create an impact that extends well beyond our borders.” Gunkul is a publicly listed energy and infrastructure firm with a strong footprint in renewable energy, engineering, procurement and construction as well as electrical equipment. SunAsia Energy has been partnering with local and foreign investors to ramp up the development of clean power facilities in the Philippines. Since its launch in 2013, SunAsia’s portfolio includes a 60-MW facility in Toledo, Cebu, and a 20-MW project in Pangasinan. READ: SunAsia secures 10 contracts for solar farm The company has also been managing a floating solar testbed on Laguna de Bay since 2019, enabling it to gain more expertise in building larger projects on water. SunAsia likewise sealed a deal with Vietnam’s VinEnergo to roll out solar projects on bodies of water in the Philippines. In July, the company’s subsidiaries NewAsia Power Energy II Corp. and Nortesol II Inc. proposed the construction of two more floating solar projects in Laguna worth P12.04 billion. SunAsia is looking at making them operational by early 2028. INQ