RASLAG Corp. has received certificates of compliance (CoCs) from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), allowing the operation of its Raslag-1 and Raslag-2 solar plants, which have a combined capacity of 23.2 megawatts (MW) in Mexico, Pampanga, the company said on Monday.

The company received CoCs dated Oct. 9, 2024, for the 10.046-MW Pampanga Solar Power Project Phase 1 and its 0.01-MW emergency diesel engine generating unit, as well as the 13.14-MW Pampanga Solar Power Project Phase 2.

A CoC is issued by the ERC to authorize the operation of a power plant or other power-generating facility. Pending the issuance of a CoC, the ERC may grant a provisional authority to operate, allowing generation companies to commence operations.

The ERC issues these permits pursuant to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, which mandates that new power generation facilities secure approval from the commission before beginning operations.

According to copies of the certificates disclosed by the company to the stock exchange, Raslag was deemed compliant with all requirements under the 2023 Revised CoC Rules, the Philippine Grid Code, the Philippine Distribution Code, and related laws, rules, and regulations.

Asked for further details, Raslag President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Gerard B. Nepomuceno clarified that the plants are already operational.

“It’s just that we are one of the few given lifetime certificates of compliance,” Mr. Nepomuceno told BusinessWorld in a Viber message. “Some power plants are only given provisional certificates, which are valid for only a year.”

To date, Raslag has obtained CoCs for its Raslag-1, Raslag-2, and Raslag-3 solar plants, the company said.

In October last year, the company announced that it had begun testing and commissioning Raslag-4, which has a capacity of 36.646 MW.

The solar plant’s completion brought the company’s total installed capacity to 77.844 MW. Raslag aims to expand its renewable energy portfolio to at least 1,000 MW by 2035, with three more projects underway. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera