L-R: Horia Adrian, Holcim head of decarbonization for Asia, the Middle East and Africa; Nicolas George, Holcim Philippines president and CEO; Giles Puno, First Gen president and COO; and Vincent Martin Villegas, First Gen SVP and CROHolcim Philippines has tapped First Gen Corporation for supply of electricity from a geothermal energy source to run Holcim’s Mindanao manufacturing plants in line with its decarbonization direction.

Under the agreement, First Gen will provide Holcim with electricity from a clean and renewable energy source to meet 22% of the power needs of its manufacturing facilities in Bunawan, Davao City, and Lugait, Misamis Oriental.

The supply of electricity will come from the geothermal plant in North Cotabato of Energy Development Corporation.

“We are pleased to partner with Holcim Philippines to grow viably while decarbonizing. It’s not an easy journey to decarbonize and provide for a regenerative future. This requires collaboration not just through supplying power, but also through solutions that maximize and optimize electricity requirements and working to find a pathway toward net zero,” said First Gen president and chief operating officer Giles Puno.

The partnership between First Gen and Holcim was enabled by the recent introduction in Mindanao of the government’s Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) program. Under RCOA, eligible power consumers whose monthly average peak demand reaches at least 500 kilowatts can choose their own electricity suppliers.

“This partnership is a significant step towards meeting our goal to source 65% of our power needs from renewable energy by 2030 to decarbonize our business. We are excited and confident to work with First Gen, a company that shares our strong commitment to sustainability and a leading provider of renewable energy in the country,” said Holcim Philippines president and chief executive officer Nicolas George.

Holcim Philippines is one of the country’s largest construction materials providers. Since 2018, it has reduced its carbon footprint by more than 20% by producing more blended cements, replacing coal with qualified wastes as alternative fuels and raw materials, shifting to renewable energy and improving efficiency of operations. The company is a member of the Net Zero Carbon Alliance, a multi-sectoral movement aimed at building collaborative pathways for organizations to get on a path toward decarbonization.

(Story/Photos by:Joel Gaborni)