At A Glance
- Lopez-led First Gen Corp. (FGen) said it was tapped to power Digital Edge Holdings Pte. Ltd.'s NARRA1 data center located at Laguna Technopark in Biñan, by sourcing its power from the Pantabangan-Masiway and Casecnan hydroelectric complex in Nueva Ecija.
Lopez-led First Gen Corp. (FGen) announced that Singaporean data developer and operator Digital Edge Holdings Pte. Ltd. has integrated renewable energy (RE) into its data center in Laguna.
During the signing ceremony on Wednesday, May 14, FGen said it was tapped to power Digital Edge’s NARRA1 data center located at Laguna Technopark in Biñan, by sourcing its power from the Pantabangan-Masiway and Casecnan hydroelectric complex in Nueva Ecija.
The 10-megawatt (MW) NARRA1 data center was developed under a joint venture agreement between Digital Edge and technology and real estate firm Threadborne Group.
According to FGen, NARRA1 offers 2,200 cabinets across 12 data halls, with 5,200 square meters (sqm) of colocation space.
“[It] is the first data center in Southeast Asia to achieve EDGE [Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies] certification, and the first in the Philippines to attain LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] Gold certification—recognizing best-in-class performance in sustainability, water and energy efficiency, and carbon emissions reduction,” it added.
Vic Barrios, country manager for Digital Edge, added that, “Through our partnership with First Gen, it will now also be powered by renewable hydroelectricity—further strengthening our commitment to sustainable operations.”
Carlo Vega, FGen’s chief customer engagement officer, further highlighted the need for data centers in the country, emphasizing that they must be powered by RE.
“The need for data centers is growing and operating these requires large-scale, uninterrupted power with the lowest possible carbon emissions. We look forward to working with Digital Edge as they continue to make progress in their decarbonization journey, not just with a supply of reliable, low-emission, and cost-competitive electricity, but solutions that will help optimize their energy usage,” he said.
So far, FGen has nearly 300-MW worth of hydropower, as well as 160 MW from wind and solar facilities, and less than 1,200 MW of geothermal generating capacity from its unit, Energy Development Corp. (EDC).
The Lopez-led firm also has four other facilities, including natural gas, with a total capacity of 2,017 MW to compensate for RE’s intermittency and to help meet baseload requirements.