PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) are expanding their partnership with First Gen Corp. (First Gen) to switch six network facilities in Mindanao to 100-percent renewable energy.
Among the facilities that are shifting to RE is PLDT Ponciano, a critical regional facility in Mindanao that also houses VITRO Davao—the first data center in Davao City which caters to the business needs of local and foreign enterprises in the region in terms of disaster recovery, security, and business continuity. The switch will also make VITRO Davao the first data center of the telco firm to be 100-percent RE-powered.
“Following the switch of four of our sites in the Visayas, we are once again tapping First Gen’s geothermal energy supply to increase the renewable component of the energy mix of our critical facilities in Mindanao,” said Leo Gonzales, PLDT vice president and sector head for property and facilities.
“This enables us to future-proof our facilities, reduce our operational expenses, and support the government’s Green Energy Option Program in the region,” he said.
The RE expansion in Mindanao is expected to generate about P23-million savings on energy and operational costs annually for PLDT and Smart.
It is also estimated to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by almost 13,000 tons every year, contributing to their decarbonization roadmap that targets a 40 percent reduction of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030, coming from a 2019 baseline.
“First Gen and PLDT share a common commitment towards decarbonization. We are honored to collaborate with the PLDT group, support their transition to RE, and help make their facilities more energy efficient and sustainable while providing meaningful connectivity to Filipinos,” said Carlo Vega, First Gen vice president for power marketing, trading and economics.
The PLDT Group is set to expand more renewables into its energy mix, which includes geothermal, solar and wind sources.
PLDT and Smart launched their RE supply partnership with First Gen in May 2023 to harness geothermal energy sources for network facilities in Cebu, Samar, Capiz and Iloilo.
Prior to partnering with First Gen, the PLDT Group also installed its largest solar rooftop facility in the Visayas, covering sites in Cebu Jones and Mandaue City in Cebu, Roxas, La Paz, Iloilo, and Bacolod. Within 2024, the Group expects to transition additional facilities in Greater Metro Manila to RE.
“The achievement of PLDT and Smart’s decarbonization targets to reduce our environmental footprint depends on the support from like-minded partners such as First Gen, who helps companies transition to renewable energy. This partnership with First Gen allows us to continue to enable the country’s digital transformation and help narrow the digital divide but in a way that is kind to the planet,” said Melissa Vergel de Dios, PLDT first vice president, chief sustainability officer and head of investor relations.
