A steel products manufacturer in San Simon, Pampanga is ramping up its efforts in introducing clean and green technologies and advancement as it aims to become a pioneer in implementing sustainability efforts in the steel industry.
(Standing from L-R) CEO Irwin Chua, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of France in Manila Remy Tirouttouvarayane, Director of the Department of Energy - Renewable Energy Management Bureau Marissa Cerezo, (Sitting from L-R) Real Steel CFO William Chen, COO Felice Chua, TotalEnergies Country Chair Titos Castro, and Country Coordinator and Business Development Director Sandro Bruni
Real Steel Corporation (RSC) inked a transformative partnership with TotalEnergies ENEOS on Oct. 26 in Taguig City to introduce a 16.8 megawatt-peak (MWp) rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) system at its cutting-edge manufacturing facility in San Simon, Pampanga with the goal to significantly reduce operational expenses and the carbon footprint of the nations first high-speed rolling mill.
The event was attended by executives of RSC and TotalEnergies ENEOS as well as Department of Energy - Renewable Energy Management Bureau Director Marissa Cerezo, and Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of France in Manila Remy Tirouttouvarayane.
With over 22,000 solar modules to be installed, the PV system will generate 26,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of renewable electricity annually, leading to a substantial cost savings for the RSC facility and a remarkable reduction in the company’s carbon emissions by approximately 12,800 tons of CO2 per year. This reduction is equivalent to planting 200,000 trees.
"Real Steel Corporation is dedicated to spearheading sustainable practices within the steel
industry. Under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Philippines will be focused on infrastructure development and this will propel the steel demand. By implementing the largest rooftop solar PV system in the Philippines, we are accelerating the production of lower carbon, high-quality steel products for the Philippine market," RSC CFO William T. Chen explained.
Under the agreement and through a tailored business model, TotalEnergies ENEOS will install and maintain the PV system, while RSC will be the operator and owner of the asset from the commissioning. The business model proposed by TotalEnergies ENEOS ensures a neutral cash flow for RSC for the first 10 years of engagement. Afterwards, RSC will fully benefit from the asset for its entire lifespan of around 30 years.
"We are thrilled to collaborate with RSC in providing their facilities with renewable energy and to actively contribute to their long-term sustainability and growth objectives. We are dedicated to supporting RSC as a 'green lane strategic investment' in the Philippines Development Plan 2023-2028. As a leading solar service provider for commercial and industrial businesses, TotalEnergies ENEOS is committed to aiding companies like RSC in reducing their energy costs and carbon footprint through our expertise in tailored renewable solutions," said Elodie Renaud, director of TotalEnergies ENEOS Renewables Distributed Generation Asia.
“On behalf of the Department of Energy, we laud RSC’s initiative to lead the transition of steel
manufacturing industry towards a greener and more sustainable future. This agreement with TotalEnergies will certainly contribute in our efforts to bring the Philippines closer to our goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in power generation by 50% in 2040," Dir. Cerezo noted.
For his part, Tirouttouvarayane praised the deal between RSC and TotalEnergies ENEOS as an outcome of the partnership between the Philippine and France in the energy sector.
“The steel industry is at the heart of economic activity and a major contributor to the development of the Philippines. Like Many industries, it has to face up the challenges of energy transition. In this context, I am delighted to witness how Real Steel is leading the way for the whole local industry by installing rooftop PV system to its facility to reduce its carbon footprint. Presidents Marcos and Macron have agreed on defining energy security as one of the priorities of our bilateral cooperation. I am very pleased to witness that the French-Philippine partnership in the energy sector also translates into private sector-led projects," Tirouttouvarayane stressed.
For its part, TotalEnergies ENEOS expressed its belief in the active involvement of both local and multi-national businesses who are the key contributors to the remarkable growth of the country for over a decade. The company is committed to provide affordable and clean energy, which is a
key contributing factor to the Philippine economy.