PLDT Inc. said Thursday it is teaming up with ACEN Corp.’s supply retail unit ACEN Renewable Energy Solutions to switch 33 facilities in Greater Metro Manila to use 100-percent renewable energy (RE).
Under the partnership, PLDT will leverage on ACEN RES’ portfolio of solar and geothermal power solutions to strengthen operational efficiency and reduce dependency on electricity from fossil fuel and non-renewable sources.
Among the facilities transitioning to RE is the PLDT-Smart Integrated Operations Center in Makati City, a 24/7 command center that oversees network operations and manages performance of PLDT’s extensive fiber infrastructure and the wireless facilities of its subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) across the country.
“This supply agreement with ACEN RES expands and diversifies renewables in the energy mix of our key facilities. Our continuous transition to RE supports the direction to make our PLDT facilities eco-efficient and future-ready,” PLDT vice president and sector head for property and facilities Leo Gonzales said.
The agreement with ACEN RES is expected to generate savings in energy and operating costs for PLDT and support its continuing groupwide decarbonization roadmap with an estimated reduction of almost 21,000 tons of carbon emissions annually.
“We are keen on supporting PLDT as it continues to transition to RE and use more renewable energy to power its operations that are vital to our country’s connectivity and digital infrastructure. ACEN is looking forward to this venture that will help foster an energy-secure future for our telecommunications industry,” ACEN senior vice president for market transformation Tony Valdez said.
The PLDT Group follows a roadmap to reduce its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030, coming from a 2019 baseline.
Underpinning this target, the group has been venturing into the use of renewables, green technologies, and various resource optimization initiatives for its network sites, business offices, and key facilities nationwide.
“Integral to achieving our strategic direction of ensuring long-term profitability by doing business responsibly are initiatives like this that allow us to achieve operational efficiencies and reduce our environmental footprint at the same time. This is a model that we aim to keep scaling up to accelerate our decarbonization roadmap and support the global ambition to achieve Net Zero by 2050,” said PLDT first vice president, chief sustainability officer and head of investor relations Melissa Vergel de Dios said.
PLDT recently secured its first green loan amounting to P1 billion to partially fund the ongoing nationwide modernization and expansion of its fiber network. This allows the telco to minimize its environmental footprint and further intensify efforts to narrow the digital divide.