GLOBAL Business Power Corp. (GBP) said its unit in retail electricity had signed a power supply agreement with Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) under the Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) retail competition and open access (RCOA) scheme.
The agreement renews GBP and RLC’s retail supply contract last year and expands the supply agreement to 26 megawatts (MW) from the previous 22 MW. The contract covers Robinsons malls and Universal Robina Corp. factories located in Bacolod, Tacloban, Roxas, Iloilo and Cebu.
“This partnership harnesses various synergies and builds on our respective strengths to accelerate growth not just in the Visayas, but ultimately, the entire country,” said GBP President Jaime T. Azurin in a statement.
He said the renewal came as GBP realigned its vision to become a total sustainable energy solutions provider and offer more flexibility to its customers.
GBP said the Visayas region mirrored the country’s robust growth, which in terms of gross domestic product grew by 6.7% in 2017 amid brisk activities in manufacturing, construction, and retail trade.
Central and Western Visayas, where GBP and RLC have key operations, regional gross domestic product grew by 5.1% and 8.4%, respectively. It noted that Western Visayas is the fourth fastest-growing region in the country.
GBP quoted RLC President and Chief Executive Officer Frederick D. Go as saying, “We look forward to working with GBP to help meet our energy requirements.”
RCOA allows “contestable customers,” or those whose peak demand fall within a set threshold, to freely choose their electricity supplier.
GBP operates 11 power generation facilities in Cebu, Iloilo, Aklan and Mindoro. Last year, it acquired a 50% stake in Mindanao-based Alsons Thermal Energy Corp.
