ib vogt breaks ground on 99MW solar plant in Philippines

project is expected to power around 79,000 homes.

ib vogt has broken ground on the 99-megawatt-peak (MWp) Luca Solar Power Plant in Ajuy, Iloilo, Philippines, as the company expands its renewable energy portfolio in the country.

The plant is expected to generate around 158 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean energy annually, enough to power approximately 79,000 homes, while avoiding an estimated 109,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions each year.

The project is part of ib vogt APAC’s target to reach around 500 MW of solar capacity under construction and in operation in the Philippines by the end of 2026.

“Breaking ground for our Luca plant today doubles the capacity we have built and under construction in the country,” said David Ludwig, chief executive officer of ib vogt APAC.

Ludwig said the company’s third and largest Philippine project, which is expected to enter construction before the end of the year, will more than double its capacity again.

"We will keep building into a Philippine power market that needs the supply," said Ludwig. "The same ramp-up is under way across our core Southeast Asian markets, a region entering a decade in which reliable, low-cost power decides how fast these economies grow.”

The Luca project is also expected to create hundreds of local jobs during construction, followed by skilled positions over the plant’s projected 20-year operating life. 

Jose Luis Echávarri, managing director and chief operating officer of ib vogt APAC, said the project will provide clean power and more predictable energy costs while supporting local employment. “It means significant hundreds of jobs, local employment during the construction, and smaller numbers of skilled jobs in this community for the life of the plant.”

Marissa Cerezo, director IV of the Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Management Bureau, said the project comes as the Philippines’ energy demand continues to rise alongside economic growth. “Our energy demand will continue to grow as our economy expands, so we need an energy system that is not just sufficient, but also reliable, resilient, diversified, and increasingly sustainable.”

Ajuy Mayor Loida Espinosa said the project will generate employment, economic activity and investment for Barangay Luca and the municipality. 

The UK government is supporting the project through British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution.

British Ambassador Sarah Hulton OBE said the project will provide clean electricity for 79,000 households, strengthen energy security in the Visayas and support the Philippines’ transition to a lower-carbon energy system.

The project was arranged and financed by RCBC and RCBC Capital, with capital support from Pentagreen Capital and BII.

Marat Zapparov, chief executive officer of Pentagreen Capital, said the project builds on ib vogt Asia’s recently commissioned 99 MW Tantangan Solar Project in Mindanao.

Rohit Anand, managing director and head of Asia Climate Direct Investments at BII, said the project demonstrates how partnerships between developers, lenders and investors can mobilise private capital for renewable energy infrastructure in emerging markets.