AboitizPower’s CBK addition, solar milestones lead its renewable energy drive

In support of the Philippines’ ambition of having a 35% and 50% share of renewable energy in its power generation mix by 2030 and 2040, respectively, Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) continues to pursue opportunities to grow its clean energy portfolio.

From less than a gigawatt of attributable net sellable renewable energy capacity in 2020, AboitizPower doubled it to ~2 gigawatts as of February 2026, with solar accounting for most of the builds in the past few years and counting the recently acquired Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan Hydroelectric Power Plant (CBK HEPP) Complex in Laguna.

As a clean and indigenous source of energy, renewables like solar and hydro forward the country’s ambitions for greater energy self-sufficiency and a diverse energy portfolio.

In February 2026, the 789-megawatt CBK HEPP Complex was officially turned over by the Philippine government to a consortium led by Aboitiz Renewables, Inc., the renewable energy arm of AboitizPower.

CBK HEPP — particularly its Kalayaan pumped-storage units — serves as a critical energy buffer for the Luzon grid. Its ability to store energy and rapidly dispatch power strengthens system stability, provides essential ancillary services, and supports the integration of renewable energy sources.

As the country expands its clean energy portfolio, the facility is expected to play a key role in safeguarding grid reliability and helping prevent power disruptions.

“It provides flexibility, stability, and resilience in a rapidly changing energy system. It allows us to manage peaks in demand, support reserves, and integrate more renewable energy into the grid without compromising reliability,” explained AboitizPower Chairman Sabin Aboitiz. “As we add more solar and wind into the system, facilities like CBK become even more critical.”

For Aboitiz Renewables, the acquisition of CBK significantly expands its hydropower portfolio and adds a massive pumped-storage asset to its renewable energy mix, aligning with AboitizPower’s strategy to expand its renewable energy capacity and strengthen its long-term, stable power generation base.

Growing portfolio

Last October 2025, Aboitiz Renewables energized its 93-megawatt peak (MWp) San Manuel solar power plant in Pangasinan, its third solar power facility in the province and sixth completed overall.

In July the same year, Aboitiz Renewables also secured the “Final Certificate of Approval to Connect” (FCATC) from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines for its 173-MWp Calatrava solar power plant in San Isidro, Negros Occidental. It paved the way for the facility’s commercial operation, which is currently the largest operating solar PV farm in the Visayas.

Thanks to the Calatrava solar project, Aboitiz Renewables was named “Independent Power Producer of the Year”, together with others from Australia, India, Indonesia, and Pakistan, at the 2025 Asian Power Awards held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Much earlier, in November 2024, Aboitiz Renewables energized the 47-MWp Armenia solar project in Tarlac, marking its first solar power plant in Central Luzon. The solar facility connects to the grid via an 11.58-kilometer transmission line that traverses five barangays.

Prior to Armenia, Aboitiz Renewables energized three more solar facilities, namely, the 95-MWp Cayanga-Bugallon and 159-MWp Laoag solar power projects in Pangasinan — both built on repurposed non-arable sloping grounds instead of sunny agricultural lands — and the 59-MWp San Carlos Sun Power Inc. (SacaSun) solar power plant in Negros Occidental, the company’s inaugural solar power facility.

Recently, SacaSun was recognized by the Safety and Health Association of the Philippines Energy Sector (SHAPES) and the Department of Energy for achieving eight years of “Zero Lost Time Incidents.”

Aboitiz Renewables develops, builds, operates, and expands a diversified portfolio of renewable energy projects — spanning solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and energy storage — with more than 1,000 MW of renewable energy capacity in the pipeline.

AP Renewables Inc., the geothermal subsidiary of Aboitiz Renewables, previously announced the Bay battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Laguna, which is set to be the first-ever BESS and geothermal hybrid system in the Philippines.

Under SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP), a joint venture between Aboitiz Renewables and Scatec ASA, additional BESS capacities of 40 MW at Binga in Benguet and 16 MW at Magat in Isabela are also under development, co-located within each respective SNAP hydro facility and scheduled to begin commercial operations this year.

According to the Energy Regulatory Commission, AboitizPower is the market leader in power generation capacity, with a national market share of 23.86% as of July 2025. Together with its partners, AboitizPower offers the largest renewable energy portfolio in the Philippines based on installed capacity under its operational control.

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