CONSUMER goods maker Monde Nissin Corp. and other companies in the group have signed up for nearly 16 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy from Energy Development Corp. (EDC).
The group, composed of Monde Nissin, Monde M.Y. San Corp., and Sarimonde Foods Corp., started last month its power supply agreement with the First Gen Corp. subsidiary.
In a press release, EDC said the deal will power the food brands’ nine facilities in the Philippines, a move that is expected to cut their operations’ carbon footprint as part of their sustainability commitment.
Five facilities started running on ‘green’ power last month, while two others will start getting their supply in December this year and two more next year.
“The message is clear and consistent. We should embrace sustainability and look into more ways of incorporating sustainable practices in our businesses. What Monde Nissin and First Gen made possible is just a fraction of what the world needs. Let us hope that more companies move in this direction for the sake of the planet and future generations,” said Monde Nissin Chief Sustainability Officer Marivic N. Cajucom-Uy.
Monde Nissin’s five-year power supply comes from EDC’s Unified Leyte geothermal power plant complex, one of the company’s largest facilities.
EDC said geothermal energy is considered the “Holy Grail” of renewable energy (RE) technologies as it can provide uninterrupted, year-round baseload power, rain or shine — or what it calls Geo 24/7.
Carlos Lorenzo L. Vega, vice-president at First Gen and head of its power marketing, trading and economics, described the partnership as “heartening” for the commitment to addressing society’s present needs “without harming the ability of future generations to meet theirs.”
“And our new partners do this by making a conscious decision of creating a more positive impact on its consumers and on the environment through shifting to RE,” he added.
EDC has more than 1,480-MW installed energy capacity, which it said accounts for 20% of the country’s total installed RE capacity. It added that its 1,185.40-MW geothermal portfolio accounts for 62% of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity.