RLC signs clean energy deal with First Gen for malls

LOPEZ-LED First Gen Corp. has entered into a power supply agreement with Gokongwei-led developer Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) to provide clean energy to several key shopping malls and a supermarket in the Visayas and Mindanao.

In a statement on Monday, First Gen said it will deliver 22 megawatts (MW) of electricity to RLC to “optimize costs and decarbonize operations” as part of the developer’s sustainability efforts.

The agreement covers eight RLC shopping malls and a supermarket across Cebu, Leyte, Zamboanga del Sur, Capiz, and Antique.

First Gen will source the electricity from its geothermal facilities in Leyte and North Cotabato.

RLC President and Chief Executive Officer Mybelle V. Aragon-GoBio said the partnership will allow the company to power its shopping malls with clean energy even as electricity demand peaks.

“Consistent with the Net Zero goal of the Gokongwei Group by 2050, we at Robinsons Land are committed to keeping our carbon footprint as low as possible and ensuring sustainability through strong environmental performance and energy efficiency,” she said.

Ms. Aragon-GoBio said procuring renewable energy supply also helps reduce exposure to electricity price volatility driven by global fuel markets.

RLC owns and operates 57 shopping malls nationwide and maintains a diversified real estate portfolio that includes office buildings, residential developments, hotels, industrial and logistics facilities, and destination estates.

About 10-15% of the property developer’s total power supply requirements come from renewable sources, including 30-MW rooftop solar facilities.

“Geothermal energy is not just renewable, it’s also indigenous and the only clean energy source that can run baseload capacity. It offers not just electricity cost optimization, but also price predictability,” First Gen President and Chief Operating Officer Francis Giles B. Puno said.

First Gen currently has about 1,700 MW of generating capacity from 30 hydropower, geothermal, solar, and wind facilities across the country. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera