Eastern Communications Philippines, Inc. has signed a power supply agreement with First Gen Corporation to run its headquarters and technical operations centers on renewable energy.
Under the deal signed on Feb. 11, First Gen will supply 1,300 kilowatts of geothermal power to the telecommunications firm. The electricity will come from First Gen’s Unified Leyte geothermal plants located in Tongonan, Ormoc City and Kananga, Leyte.
The partnership marks a key step in Eastern Communications’ efforts to strengthen operational reliability and reduce its carbon footprint. Company officials said shifting to renewable energy supports its long-term sustainability goals and commitment to help lower overall emissions in the country.
First Gen said geothermal power will provide the telecom company with a stable and reliable energy source while significantly reducing carbon intensity.
The agreement was made possible through the government’s Retail Competition and Open Access program, which allows large electricity users to directly choose and contract their power suppliers.
Eastern Communications, the country’s first telecommunications company, is expanding its network and services nationwide. It operates about 11,400 kilometers of fiber network with 169 nodes across 77 cities and offers connectivity, cloud, data center, security, and business solutions.
First Gen is the country’s leading renewable energy provider, with 1,700 megawatts of capacity from geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar facilities. It also holds a 40-percent stake in four gas-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 2,017 megawatts, majority-owned by Prime Infrastructure Capital, Inc.
