Black & Veatch and Carmen Copper, a subsidiary of Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development (PSE:AT), have won the Innovation Award for Energy Transition and Emerging Solutions at the 2026 Enlit Asia Awards.

Their winning project, the Carmen Copper Floating Solar Project in the Philippines, was also shortlisted for Power Plant Project of the Year.

The award acknowledges the project’s innovative approach to addressing challenging engineering, environmental, and operational issues.

Located on the Malubog Reservoir in Cebu, the 4.996-megawatt (MW) floating solar facility is the Philippines’ first MW-scale floating PV installation. It supports operations at one of the nation’s major copper mining sites.

As part of developing the project, solar arrays were assembled on floating platforms made from recycled plastic components before being transported across the reservoir and connected in stages. Each section was positioned using sonar-guided GPS technology and secured through an anchoring system.

Senior Vice President and Head of APAC & India at Black & Veatch Jerin Raj says the award demonstrates “the power of innovation and collaboration”.

“Together with Carmen Copper, we delivered a first-of-a-kind floating solar project that demonstrates how industrial organisations can turn complex challenges into opportunities for sustainable growth,” Raj says.

Black & Veatch and Carmen Copper adopted a phased development model starting with technical validation and power system studies before moving through front-end engineering and EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) delivery.

By converting a man-made reservoir into a renewable energy asset, the development overcame land constraints and avoided disturbing surrounding areas.

During development, more than 250,000 safe man-hours were completed without time lost caused by injury, while local workers received training and were integrated into project delivery teams.

“This project provides a blueprint for businesses across Asia seeking practical pathways to decarbonisation while maintaining operational performance,” Raj says.

Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au

Main image: Black & Veatch

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