SUNASIA ENERGY, Inc. seeks to expand its renewable energy portfolio in Luzon with plans to develop P12.04 billion worth of floating solar power projects in Laguna.

NewAsia Power Energy II Corp. (NPE2C) and Nortesol II Inc. (N2I), both subsidiaries of SunAsia, are proposing to develop two floating photovoltaic (PV) power plants with a capacity of 131.789 megawatts-peak (MWp) each, according to separate filings with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

NPE2C plans to develop the Sta. Rosa Floating PV Power Plant, while N2I will undertake the Cabuyao 1 Floating PV Power Plant.

The proposed projects will occupy two of the 10 blocks designated by the Laguna Lake Development Authority for renewable energy developments, placing them within a policy framework that has opened parts of the lake to power generation alongside existing water use and environmental considerations.

Each project will cover 117.50 hectares and will use 202,800 solar panels and 396,000 inverters.

“The initiative seeks to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, mitigate the impacts of climate change, and contribute to Luzon’s energy supply,” the companies said in their filings.

Both projects are targeted to begin commercial operations by early 2028, adding to a pipeline of solar capacity that could support the country’s broader push to expand renewables in the power mix.

Established in 2013, SunAsia has developed solar projects across the country, including a 60-megawatt (MW) facility in Toledo, Cebu, a 20-MW project in Pangasinan, and a floating solar photovoltaic test bed in Laguna Lake.

The company recently partnered with Vietnamese renewable energy company VinEnergo to develop 422-MWp solar-on-water projects worth $406 million, or about P25 billion, in Pampanga and Negros Occidental.

The projects will involve the installation of nearly 700,000 solar panels mounted on concrete pile structures above water. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera