Philippine-based geothermal developer and operator Energy Development Corporation (EDC) will be supplying geothermal power to seven of the facilities of the country’s leading integrated telecommunications company PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) located in the Visayas region. The agreement was made with a supply partnership signed by parent company First Gen Corporation (First Gen) with PLDT and Smart.

The seven facilities of PLDT and Smart that will be powered with clean energy are located in Cebu, Samar, Capiz, and Iloilo. According to Melissa Vergel de Dios, PLDT and Smart Chief Sustainability Officer, First Vice President, and Head of Investor Relations, this agreement will allow the company to save around Php 27 million (approx. USD 480,000) in annual electricity costs and reduce CO2 emissions by 16,000 tons per year.

The telecommunications company is also continuing to explore further opportunities with First Gen to supply geothermal power to more of their sites across the Philippines.

“We have committed to make Sustainability part of the way we operate and shall remain steadfast in delivering on our decarbonization targets. As we turn to renewables and clean energy, we are also supporting the Philippine government’s plan for the green energy transition,” said Alfredo S. Panlilio, PLDT and Smart President and Chief Executive Officer.

“In 2016, we made the decision to close our doors to coal-fired power plants to keep our energy portfolio clean and green. It was one of the most significant business decisions we made to show how serious we are in pursuing our decarbonization mission. It gives us the motivation to continue doing what we do with partners like PLDT. We know that it is only by working together that we can power through to a greener and more progressive future.” said Giles B. Puno, First Gen’s President and Chief Operating Officer.

We had recently reported on the decision of EDC to exit from the company’s geothermal projects in Peru, focusing instead on the expansion of the Philippine domestic market.