Arthaland taps FirstGen for full Net Zero target

Arthaland Corp. has expanded its partnership with the Lopez Family’s First Gen Corp. by securing an additional supply of renewable energy to power its Savya Financial Center in Taguig City.

In a press statement over the weekend, the company said the deal aligns with its goal to fully transition its entire real estate portfolio to clean energy by 2030 under a broader Net Zero initiative.

The partnership follows their 2019 agreement to power Arthaland’s Century Pacific Tower, the first building in the world to earn zero-carbon-neutral certification under the EDGE program.

“We are committed to decarbonizing the operations of Savya Financial Center, ensuring it remains a safe and sustainable environment,” Arthaland senior vice president and chief sustainability officer Oliver Chan said.

Opened in 2022, the 18-story Savya Financial Center incorporates energy-efficient systems such as low-emissivity glass, LED lighting, low-flow plumbing, and rainwater recycling, reducing its electricity and water use by 40 percent.

Sustainability tags earned

The building is pre-certified for LEED Gold and is pursuing further sustainability certifications.

The partnership, according to First Gen, was enabled by the recent introduction of the government’s Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) program.

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

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.