The system inaugurated last week represents the first completed phase of two that will total 49MW of output. MGEN announced the project in July of last year, noting at the time that the second phase is targeted for completion in 2027, although it remains subject to regulatory clearances, the company noted in last week’s announcement.
Developed by an MGEN regional thermal power generation subsidiary, Toledo Energy Development Corporation, the lithium-ion (Li-ion) BESS plant will integrate both renewable and conventionally generated energy into the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) to support the Visayas grid at peak times and provide ancillary services.
MGEN president and CEO Emmanuel V. Rubio described Cebu as a “key demand centre in the Visayas,” and the energisation of the 25MW BESS as “an important milestone for the Visayas grid.”
The Visayas region is home to around eight million people and includes important economic and tourism hubs, while Cebu itself comprises the main island of Cebu City and 167 surrounding islands.
In March, Spain’s Acciona Energia Global broke ground on a 150MW solar PV plant (176MWp) in Cebu. The company’s Daanbantayan Solar Power Plant was fast-tracked for development by the Philippines national Board of Investments (BOI) in 2024, which issued it a Green Lane Certificate, the official endorsement that mandates expedited processing for Strategic Investments.
