Holcim inks power deal with Berde Renewables

MANILA, Philippines — Holcim Philippines has moved another step toward sustainability by signing a power purchase agreement with Berde Renewables, a distributed energy platform of I Squared Capital.

Holcim Philippines, a member of the Holcim Group, will use solar rooftop projects on two of its plants with Berde Renewables tasked to build, operate and maintain rooftop solar facilities on Holcim’s plants in Bulacan and La Union with a combined capacity of 5.5 MWp and an annual generation of approximately 7.8 GWh.

The rooftop solar facilities are expected to be commissioned in 2024 and projected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 5,500 tons of CO2 emissions per year.

The project is expected accelerate Holcim’s journey to reduce Scope 2 emissions by 65 percent by 2030.

Patrick Zhu, CEO of Berde Renewables, said Berde Renewables is proud to partner with Holcim to deliver clean energy to their plants and support their decarbonization goals.

“We will combine our end-to-end in-house capabilities, from project development and construction to operations, with I Squared’s global experience investing in close to 5.8 gigawatts of renewable energy assets, to deliver green energy for corporates in the Philippines,” Zhu said.

The project marks the first rooftop solar project for the cement industry in the Philippines and underscores Berde Renewables’ capabilities to support commercial and industrial consumers in their transition to clean energy.

Holcim Philippines president and CEO Horia Adrian said the project is a significant decarbonization milestone, “reducing our carbon footprint by more than 20 percent since 2018, with our focus on blended cements, alternative fuels and raw materials, and operational efficiency.”

The Holcim Group has set a net zero direction.

“We thank Berde Renewables for this partnership and look forward to reaching new heights in decarbonizing buildings in the Philippines with their support,” Adrian said.

Berde Renewables develops, constructs and operates distributed renewable energy projects to power commercial and industrial customers in the Philippines, while Holcim Philippines is a listed cement company in the country.