Holcim taps FGen as power supplier

Amid an earnest decarbonization bid, multinational builder and construction supplier Holcim Philippines has tapped First Gen Corp. (FGen) to supply its Mindanao manufacturing plants with geothermal-sourced power. 

Under a recently signed deal, FGen will provide Holcim with electricity to meet 22 percent of the requirements of the manufacturing facilities in Bunawan, Davao City, and Lugait, Misamis Oriental.

The electricity supply for Holcim will come from Energy Development Corp.’s (EDC) geothermal plant in North Cotabato. EDC is a subsidiary of First Gen.

“It’s not an easy journey to decarbonize and provide for a regenerative future. This requires collaboration not just through supplying power, but also through solutions that maximize and optimize electricity requirements and working to find a pathway towards net zero,” FGen president and chief operating officer Francis Giles Puno said. 

Holcim Philippines president and chief executive officer Nicolas George said the tie-up with First Gen will help achieve the goal of sourcing 65 percent of power needs from renewable energy by 2030. 

The partnership between First Gen and Holcim was enabled by the recent introduction of the government’s Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) program in Mindanao. 

Under RCOA, eligible power consumers whose monthly average peak demand reaches at least 500 kilowatts can choose their electricity suppliers.

1,651 MW output

First Gen has at least 1,651 megawatts (MW)of total renewable energy capacity from a portfolio of 26 power plants running on geothermal, hydro, wind and solar energy. 

It also owns and operates four other power plants with over 2,000 MW of capacity running on natural gas, the cleanest form of fossil fuel.

Meanwhile, Holcim Philippines is a construction materials provider with four cement manufacturing plants, aggregates and dry mix businesses, and technical support facilities for building solutions.