Nestle enters RE deal with Minergy

MANILA, Philippines — Nestlé Philippines Inc. is making significant strides in its sustainability journey via a partnership with Minergy Renewable Ventures Inc. (MRVI) to energize its Mindanao factory with clean power.

MRVI recently broke ground for the 10-megawatt Lower Cabulig and the 9.3-MW Cabulig II hydroelectric power projects in the municipality of Jasaan in Misamis Oriental.

The projects with a total estimated investment of P2 billion are targeted to start commercial operations in May 2027.

Once completed, these projects are expected to supply renewable energy to Nestlé’s last remaining factory that has yet to fully transition to clean power.

Energy Assistant Secretary Mylene Capongcol welcomed the partnership between Nestlé and MRVI, highlighting its importance in achieving the country’s clean energy targets.

“These collaborations demonstrate the commitment of both the public and private sectors to transition to cleaner energy sources, which is essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring energy security,” she said.

Under the Philippine Energy Plan, the government wants to expand the share of renewables in the country’s generation mix to 35 percent by 2030, translating to around 52 gigawatts of installed capacity.

“To achieve this ambitious target, we need all sectors to contribute, including the manufacturing sector, which plays a vital role in energy consumption and emissions reduction,” Capongcol said.

In 2021, local private businesses launched the REPH100 movement, which is inspired by global corporate RE initiative RE100 that brought together hundreds of large businesses committed to the shift to 100-percent renewables.

Nestlé nPhilippines is a member of the REPH100 movement, dedicated to completely transitioning its operations to net zero emissions.

MRVI, on the other hand, is the RE arm of Mindanao Energy Systems Inc. (Minergy).

Established by the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co. Inc., Minergy is the first independent power producer in the Mindanao region to sell directly to a private distribution utility.