MANILA, Philippines — Maynilad Water Services Inc. plans to expand its solar portfolio, as well as secure renewable energy (RE) supply, starting next year as part of its goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2027.
Maynilad supply operations head Ronaldo Padua said the company is targeting to become carbon neutral by 2027.
To help reach this goal, the water firm is eyeing to secure another one-megawatt solar plant within its facilities, according to Maynilad quality, sustainability and resiliency division head Roel Espiritu.
This will be on top of the two-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) solar farm inside La Mesa compound in Quezon City.
“This year, we’re also hoping to bid out at least another one-MW total capacity in our facilities, on rooftops and on top of treatment plants,” Espiritu said.
The first one-MW solar farm was energized in June 2021 while the second solar plant was completed last year.
“We’ve already commissioned one-MW of solar panels in our La Mesa treatment plants. We’ve already constructed another one-MW within the compound also, it will be commissioned in the succeeding months,” Padua said.
Maynilad spent P100 million for its first solar farm, which sits on an 8,250-square meter land area. For the second solar plant, it covers a land area of 12,157.30 square meters.
But given its small footprint for solar panels, Maynilad will focus on purchasing renewable energy power to supply its facilities.
“Our transition will mainly be focused on purchasing power, not really to generate our own. In the interim, we are putting up our own renewable energy generation because there is still some opportunity for us. In the long term, we will be purchasing in the market,” Espiritu said.
Maynilad plans to transition to purchasing renewable energy power starting next year.
“We’re looking to source renewable energy supply hopefully next year. I think we’re targeting five to 10 percent of our power requirements will be coming from renewables,” Espiritu said.
“By 2037, we’re also looking at about 35 to 50 percent of our power to come from renewables. This is in line with the RE roadmap of the Department of Energy,” he said.
To further support its push for carbon neutrality, Maynilad is also planning to shift its vehicle fleet to electric vehicles (EVs), targeting to transform 50 percent of its total fleet into EVs.
“We are gradually shifting our vehicles to EVs. We haven’t started, but part of the strategy given by management is we need to transition to EVs… we just started discussions within our group,” Padua said.