West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. had set up a P100-million solar power farm inside its La Mesa Compound in Quezon City, a move that the company considers its first step toward green energy.
The 1-megawatt PV (photovoltaic) solar power farm was built to augment the power supply for Maynilad’s La Mesa Pumping Station, thus reducing the company’s dependence on the grid and on fossil fuels. The solar farm covers a land area of approximately 8,250 square meters.
Designed for optimal use for 40 years or more, the solar farm is projected to generate around 10 percent in annual cost savings on the electricity consumption of La Mesa Pumping Station.
The La Mesa Pumping Station operates 24/7 to boost water supply from the treatment plants to the reservoirs for distribution to customers.
The construction of this solar farm is a major milestone in Maynilad’s continuous bid to enhance operational efficiency and promote environmental sustainability.
“We operate a lot of facilities to ensure non-stop delivery of water and wastewater services. This new solar farm provides a renewable energy source that will enable us to generate energy savings and also decrease our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Maynilad President and CEO Ramoncito S. Fernandez.
Maynilad currently operates 22 wastewater treatment facilities—up from only two in 2007 when the company was re-privatized—with a combined treatment capacity of around 664,000 cubic meters of wastewater per day.
Maynilad manages and operates the water and wastewater services in the cities of Manila (except San Andres), Pasay, Paranaque, Caloocan, Muntinlupa, Las Pinas, Valenzuela, and parts of Makati and Quezon City, including the municipalities of Navotas and Malabon. Its franchise area also covers Cavite City, and its municipalities of Bacoor, Imus, Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario.
The company has four business areas, namely Northeast Business Area, Northwest Business Area, Central Business Area, and South Business Area.