CREC to extend AgroSolar initiative

MANILA, Philippines — Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. (CREC) will gradually expand its AgroSolar initiative in its other solar farms in Luzon this year following the success of its Tarlac solar project.

Initially launched in Citicore Solar Tarlac 2, CREC corporate affairs and foundation head Fiona Nicolas said the AgroSolar initiative would also be implemented in Citicore Solar Tarlac 1, its solar plant in Arayat-Mexico, Citicore Solar Bulacan Inc., its solar project in Batangas City, and in Citicore Solar Clark.

“We’re upscaling this year, per quarter,” she said.

The AgroSolar initiative is marrying solar power generation with crop farming to help address food security while generating green energy to meet power demands.

Nicolas said Citicore Foundation has poured in around P3 million during trial period of the AgroSolar initiative.

“This is something we’re advocating in Citicore. We want to (refute) the misconception that agriculture and solar plants cannot be done together. Under our AgroSolar initiative, we combined agriculture and solar power generation,” Nicolas said.

During the ceremonial harvest last week, CREC said it expects to yield up to 5,000 kilograms of pechay or local napa cabbage from two cycles this summer from its Citicore Solar Tarlac 2 under the AgroSolar initiative.

The pechay crops were planted and grown alongside the solar panels at the Citicore Solar Tarlac 2 Inc., equivalent to one hectare out of the 10-hectare property, Nicolas said.

She said the company expects a total of eight cycles for the pechay harvest, with an estimated commercial value of P1.3 million.

With a total of four hectares available for planting, the Tarlac solar plant can still accommodate crops in three more hectares of its land.

“For pechay alone, we only utilized one hectare. Based on our soil analysis, we can still plant more like chilis, bahay kubo vegetables, etc,” Nicolas said.

In his message, CREC president and CEO Oliver Tan said the company’s AgroSolar initiative remains to be an essential complement to the company’s operations, integrating solar power generation and farming.

“For this year, we have identified pechay as the focused crop to support the farmers from Tarlac, which has long been recognized as one of the major producers of pechay,” he said.

Since 2021, CREC harvested at least 3,735 kilograms of crops such as turmeric, arugula, and French beans, and provided livelihood to at least 45 partner-farmers and local off-takers.

“This summer, we will be harvesting an additional 4,000 to 5,000 kilograms of pechay, which brings our total yield to about 8,500 kilograms of crops,” Tan said.

Tan said partner farmers would benefit from profit-sharing while local off-takers would be able purchase these crops at a price that allows for a profitable margin.

Nicolas said profit-sharing of farmers is between 25 and 40 percent, while profit margin of off-takers is between 30 and 50 percent.