UNIVERSAL Robina Corp. (URC) took a step closer to its target of having all of its facilities run on renewable energy (RE) by 2025, after it signed agreements with three suppliers to power at least 20 plants in Luzon and Visayas.
In a media release on Thursday, food products maker URC said the agreement with Manila Electric Co.’s Vantage Energy Solutions and Management, Inc., Energy Development Corp.’s Bac-Man geothermal power plant, and First Gen Corp.
The RE suppliers will produce geothermal, solar, and hydro energy for the electricity needs of URC factories in Pasig, Laguna, Cavite, Pampanga, Antipolo, Bulacan, Cebu, and Negros Occidental.
URC Chief Sustainability Officer David J. Lim, Jr. said the company is aiming for a low-carbon economy by maximizing its use of renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
“[Our goal] is to have all our plants utilize electricity from 100% renewable energy by 2025,” he said.
The move is part of URC’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, supporting the country’s pledge to the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Under the Paris Agreement, the country has committed to reduce its GHG emission by 75% by 2030.
“[By] net zero, [the company must balance] its amount of GHG emissions with the amount it removes,” URC said.
Some of the company’s manufacturing facilities in Laguna has solar panels with 1-megawatt (MW) capacity, while around 21-kilowatt solar panels were place on its Vitasoy facility in San Fernando, Pampanga.
In January, URC’s Thailand subsidiary installed solar panels with a capacity of 6 MW on its factories and warehouses located southwest of Bangkok.
Meanwhile, URC’s Vietnam subsidiary is also working on the installation of a 3-MW solar rooftop system in its coffee plant located in Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park Binh Duong.
URC at the local bourse slipped 30 centavos or 0.23% to close at P127.50 apiece on Thursday. — Marielle C. Lucenio
