Another factory shifts energy use to RE
Another factory shifts energy use to RE
By MYRNA M. VELASCO
Mc Bride Corporation, which is into PET bottles manufacturing, is the latest to join the bandwagon of corporates which had shifted its power use to renewable energy (RE), as catered to by Lopez-led firm First Gen Corporation.
Based on a power supply agreement inked by the parties, the 1.39-megawatt capacity to be delivered to Mc Bride will have to be drawn from the geothermal plants of First Gen subsidiary Energy Development Corporation (EDC).
According to First Gen, the RE-generated electricity will have to be utilized by Mc Bride’s two facilities in Caloocan. By far, this clean energy supply procurement is aligned with the manufacturing firm’s decarbonization strategy.
The target of Mc Bride, which has been providing high quality plastic packaging products to multiple fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) manufacturers in the ASEAN region, is to pare its carbon intensity by 25-percent within this year, hence, its shift to RE is seen as a major factor that could propel it toward realizing that goal.
Mc Bride President Harvey S. Keh said their company “is really looking for a partner that has the same mission and care for the environment,” albeit he qualified that “we actually want to slowly shift to the use of renewable energy, especially considering our present situation.”
As plastics had likewise been regarded as major offender to the environment, it was emphasized that the company’s awareness on that ‘reprobate stature’ prompted it to “take great strides to reduce this through various measures such as implementing proper waste segregation and disposal, and energy conservation.”
It was similarly noted that “this latest move to fully shift to renewable energy will help Mc Bride reduce its carbon footprint by 7,231 tonnes per carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) each year.”
Alongside these measures, the company has a parallel plan “to set up a PET bottle recycling facility to further reduce its carbon footprint,” and it is casting expectation that the plant will also be powered by First Gen with 100-percent renewables.
Carlo Vega, vice president and head of First Gen’s Power Marketing, Trading, and Economics, expressed their company’s enthusiasm “to be a part of Mc Bride’s decarbonization journey by helping them reduce their carbon footprint even as they continue to grow their business through our reliable source of 100-percent clean and green power.”
EDC is the biggest subsidiary of First Gen that has 100-percent RE portfolio for aggregate capacity of 1,480MW - dominated by its geothermal power generating assets; and reinforced by its wind and solar farm installations.