Global Business Power Corp., Robinsons Land renew power supply deal

MANILA, Philippines — Pangilinan-led Global Business Power Corp. has renewed its retail power supply agreement with Robinsons Land Corp. to power up the latter’s malls and factories in the Visayas area.

The agreement not only extends the retail supply contract signed last year and raises the supply capacity from 22 megawatts (MW) to 26 MW.

The contract covers Robinsons malls and Universal Robina Corp. factories located in Bacolod, Tacloban, Roxas, Iloilo and Cebu.

“This partnership harnesses various synergies and builds on our respective strengths to accelerate growth not just in the Visayas, but ultimately, the entire country,” GBP president Jaime Azurin said.

The GBP official said the renewal comes at a time when GBP has realigned its vision to become a total sustainable energy solutions provider and offer more flexibility to its customers.

Recent economic data from the National Economic and Development Authority show that the country’s growth domestic product grew 6.7 percent in 2017 on the back of brisk economic activities particularly related to manufacturing, construction, and retail trade.

The Visayas region mirrored the country’s robust growth, with Central and Western Visayas, where GBP and RLC have key operations, recording 5.1 percent and 8.4 percent growth in regional domestic product in the same year. Western Visayas is now the fourth fastest growing in the region in the country.

RLC president and CEO Frederick Go said the agreement would help meet their energy requirements.

RCOA is a provision under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act that allows “contestable customers,” or those whose peak demand fall within a set contestability, to freely choose their electricity supplier.

GBP operates 11 power generation facilities in Cebu, Iloilo, Aklan and Mindoro. Last year, the company acquired a 50 percent stake in Mindanao-based Alsons Thermal Energy Corp.