First Gen, HCG team up for solar project

MANILA, Philippines — Lopez-led First Gen Corp. has partnered with the Philippine unit of Taiwan-based bathroom equipment manufacturer HCG for a solar project in Cavite.

First Gen recently signed a deal with Hocheng Philippines Corp., also known as HCG Philippines, to construct a 660-kilowatt (kW) solar power plant inside the latter’s 10-hectare manufacturing facility in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

With the strategic collaboration, HCG Philippines is expected to reduce its carbon footprint and save on electricity expenses.

Eugene Lin, HCG Philippines senior vice president and officer-in-charge, said the partnership with First Gen demonstrates the company’s sustainability commitment.

“Our goal is to pursue excellence in building healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving products. We build better designs to reduce our overall impact on the environment and support sustainable development,” Lin said.

This latest agreement is likewise aligned with HCG’s decarbonization program, which includes a target to transition to clean, renewable sources.

“We look forward to a growing partnership to lower HCG’s carbon emissions by using clean energy to power operations and integrating energy efficiency solutions,” First Gen assistant vice president for solar Mark Malabanan said.

In 2020, First Gen secured a contract from HCG for the supply of 850 kW of clean energy from the Bacon-Manito geothermal power plant in the Bicol region owned by First Gen unit Energy Development Corp.

The existing supply contract has been made possible through the retail competition and open access program, which allows power end-users to choose their own electricity suppliers.

Founded in 1931 to address the growing demand for proper sanitation, HCG has since ventured globally and expanded its portfolio to include bathroom fixtures and solutions.

To complement its production bases overseas, HCG established the 10-hectare plant at the First Cavite Industrial Estate in 1997.

First Gen, on the other hand, is the country’s largest producer of clean energy, with a combined capacity of over 1,600 megawatts (MW) from its solar, wind, hydro and geothermal power plants.

Its other power generation facilities run on natural gas, the cleanest form of fossil fuel, with a total capacity of over 2,000 MW.