Global bathroom fixtures solutions provider HCG, through its subsidiary Hocheng Philippines Corp. (HCG Philippines), has achieved 100-percent renewable energy (RE) for its domestic operations after switching on an on-site solar power facility.
The new solar facility inside HCG’s ten-hectare property in Dasmariñas, Cavite has a peak capacity of 660-kilowatts (kW). Construction of the facility began in late 2024.
The solar power is intended to augment the company’s existing supply of geothermal energy from First Gen Corp., the Philippines’ leading RE company.
First Gen has been supplying HCG with power from the Bacon-Manito geothermal power plant in Bicol since 2020, with the latest supply agreement signed in October 2024 covering a three-year period.
“Our partnership with First Gen has helped us manufacture our products more sustainably,” said HCG Philippines president Eugene Lin.
“Aside from cleaner power supply, the First Gen team has also aided us in rationalizing our electricity consumption with energy audits and a Remote Energy Monitoring System. It’s not just that we are manufacturing products with a smaller carbon footprint, but also saving power cost, which we can channel back to developing more efficient and environmentally friendlier solutions,” said Lin.
HCG embarked on a decarbonization program in 2020, which included shifting its power requirements to RE.
“We are proud of HCG as they continue to make progress in their decarbonization journey,” said First Gen chief customer engagement officer Carlo Vega.
“They are truly a testament that a sustainable but cost-competitive manufacturing operation is possible, even with a full RE transition. We are committed to supporting the HCG sustainability journey,” said Vega.
Founded in 1931 in Taiwan, HCG initially focused on toilet fixtures for hygiene and sanitation and has since expanded globally. First Gen is one of the Philippines’ largest power players with the largest RE portfolio, featuring plants that run on geothermal, wind, hydro, and solar with over 1,600 MW of combined capacity.
The company also operates four gas-fired plants with a total capacity of 2,017 MW in partnership with Prime Infrastructure Capital to compensate for the intermittence of renewables and support baseload requirements.
