Yanara launches forest rehab program beside Sual solar project

Yanara has partnered with the Sioasio East Forest Developers Association to plant 156,400 seedlings and rehabilitate 62.56 hectares in Sual, Pangasinan. The five-year program links forest restoration with the company’s 69 MWdc solar project and aims to support biodiversity, community livelihoods and long-term site resilience.

Why it matters: - The project ties renewable energy development to habitat restoration, which can reduce pressure on surrounding ecosystems as construction and operation expand. - The five-year maintenance plan is designed to improve seedling survival and create local livelihood opportunities in Barangay Macaycayawan. - The effort sits next to Yanara’s 69 MWdc Sual Solar Power Plant, linking clean power expansion with environmental stewardship.

What happened: - Yanara partnered with the Sioasio East Forest Developers Association, Inc. (SEFDAI) to launch a plantation establishment and forest rehabilitation program in Sual, Pangasinan. - Renovable Earth Corp., Yanara’s subsidiary, formalized the partnership through a Memorandum of Agreement. - Officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Ilocos Region witnessed the signing. - The program covers a 62.56-hectare plantation site in Barangay Macaycayawan, Sual. - The site neighbors Yanara’s 69 MWdc Sual Solar Power Plant, which is being built with ACEN and is under the Department of Energy’s Green Energy Auction Program 4.

The details: - The program will plant and maintain 156,400 seedlings. - The tree mix includes indigenous and fruit-bearing species. - SEFDAI will handle site preparation, plantation establishment, gap replanting, fire prevention, forest protection and regular monitoring. - The agreement includes a comprehensive five-year maintenance and protection program. - The project targets at least an 85% seedling survival rate. - Yanara said the effort is meant to help the surrounding ecosystem thrive alongside the solar plant. - SEFDAI President Ronnie Romulo M. Vaygan said the project can support the environment and families while creating stable livelihood opportunities. - DENR Region 1 Regional Executive Director Atty. Sopsop said the collaboration reflects a model that strengthens community ownership and environmental conservation.

Between the lines: - The partnership reflects a broader push in renewable energy projects to pair infrastructure buildout with land restoration and community participation. - The inclusion of a local people’s organization gives the project on-the-ground forestry knowledge and may improve long-term maintenance and protection. - Yanara’s five-year commitment signals that the company is treating rehabilitation as an ongoing obligation, not a one-time planting activity.

What's next: - SEFDAI will begin implementation of the plantation and maintenance work, including replanting and forest protection measures. - The seedlings will need sustained monitoring over the five-year period to meet the survival target. - The solar project’s broader development continues under its power delivery commitments scheduled between 2026 and 2029.

The bottom line: - Yanara is trying to pair clean-energy growth with forest recovery, using the Sual project to show that power infrastructure and ecological rehabilitation can be developed together.