Food manufacturing company General Milling Corporation (GMC) has partnered with Lopez-led clean energy producer First Gen Corporation (FGen) to source renewable energy (RE) for its manufacturing facility.

In a statement, GMC said it signed an agreement with FGen which would allow its subsidiary, Green Core Geothermal Inc (GCGI) to power GMC’s largest food manufacturing complex in Lapu-Lapu City in Cebu through geothermal power.

The renewable energy would come from GCGI’s geothermal power plant located in Negros Oriental.

The agreement would further expand the eight-year collaboration between the two parties, which began in 2016 through the Retail Competition and Open Access policy.

This regulation would allow businesses like GMC to choose their energy provider based on their substantial electricity demand.

GMC stated that its manufacturing facility in Lapu-Lapu is a critical part of its operations, covering flour and feed milling, livestock breeding, and hatchery production. It also has a wharf that supports large cargo ship movements. 

Anna Gurango-Vicencio, GMC president, expressed confidence in betting on clean energy in its sustainable manufacturing.

“This partnership with First Gen ensures that we are not only meeting today’s energy needs but doing so in a way that aligns with our long-term environmental goals,” she said. “By integrating more clean energy into our operations, we are future-proofing our business while making a positive impact on the environment.”

“We have seen the tangible benefits of renewable energy in our operations over the past six years,” added Gurango-Vicencio. “The partnership with First Gen is a vital part of our strategy to keep our energy sources sustainable as we scale our operations and deliver high-quality products to our customers nationwide.”

Carlo Vega, FGen vice president for power marketing, trading, and economics said that this long-term collaboration is important to achieve decarbonization.

“Aside from helping GMC reduce the carbon footprint of their manufacturing operations through a steady renewable energy supply, we are committed to partner with them in their journey towards decarbonization—by helping them harness more RE and integrate this into their operations, and rationalize their power usage,” he elaborated.

Aside from Cebu, GMC also has other sites located in Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, and Calamba while its headquarters is located in Makati City and Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

At present, FGen has over 3,668 megawatts (MW) of combined capacity from a fleet of 32 power plants running on clean and renewable sources.