Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) affiliate Pacific Light Power Pte. Ltd. aims to get its 600-megawatt (MW) gas-fired power plant in Singapore’s Jurong Island up and running by January 2029.
Information available on Pacific Light’s website shows the 600-MW facility will be Singapore’s first large scale battery energy storage system (BESS) to support its combined cycle gas turbine technology.
Pacific Light is a joint venture between Meralco subsidiary, Meralco Power Gen Corp. (MGen), and Hong Kong-based investment management and holding company, First Pacific. MGen holds a 58 percent stake in the venture, while First Pacific owns 48 percent.
Manuel V. Pangilinan is the chairman and CEO of Meralco, as well as the managing director and CEO of First Pacific.
Last year, Pacific Light was able to secure the right to build, own and operate two power generating units from the Singapore Energy Market Authority. The units are expected to provide 100 MWs of fast-start generation capacity once operational in the second quarter of 2025.
It was also awarded a 25-year fast start contract for a 100 MW, hydrogen ready, gas turbine that can be started and brought to full load within18 minutes. This will provide the capacity for ancillary reserve services.
Pacific Light currently owns and operates an 830-MW natural gas power plant in Singapore.
In the Philippines, MGen through affiliate Terra Solar Philippines Inc. is sourcing funding to develop the world’s biggest integrated solar and BESS project.
It is a 3,500-MW solar power project with a BESS capacity of 4,500 MW hours traversing Nueva Ecija and Bulacan.
So far, the project has received about $600 million when Actis Rubyred (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. acquired a 40 percent stake in Terra Solar — lead project developer.
The project has also received the Philippines’ largest syndicated loan of P150 billion in partnership with top-tier banking institutions, including BDO Unibank Inc., Security Bank Corp., China Banking Corp., Philippine National Bank, Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company and Bank of the Philippine Islands.
Terra Solar aims to complete the first 2,500-MW phase of the project by 2026. The second phase of 1,000 MW is scheduled to operate in 2027.
This year, MGen through its other subsidiaries will add 85.2 MW of solar capacity to its portfolio, coming from projects that are to be completed in Isabela and Rizal.
