Philippine operations of global bathroom fixtures solutions provider HCG, under its subsidiary Hocheng Philippines Corporation (HCG Philippines), is totally powered by renewable energy (RE), in partnership with First Gen Corporation (First Gen), the country’s leading RE company. This following the switch-on of its solar power facility to augment its existing direct supply of geothermal energy.
The on-site solar facility, located inside HCG’s ten-hectare facility in Dasmariñas, Cavite, has a peak capacity of 660-kilowatts (kW). Construction of the facility started in late-2024.
Aside from the solar facility, First Gen has also been supplying HCG with geothermal power since 2020 from the the Bacon-Manito geothermal power plant in Bicol, with its latest supply agreement signed in October 2024 covering a three-year period.
“Our partnership with First Gen has helped us manufacture our products more sustainably. Aside from cleaner power supply, the First Gen team has also aided us in rationalizing our electricity consumption with energy audits and a Remote Energy Monitoring System. It’s not just that we are manufacturing products with a smaller carbon footprint, but also saving power cost, which we can channel back to developing more efficient and environmentally friendlier solutions,” said HCG Philippines President Eugene Lin.
Founded in 1931, HCG was founded in Taiwan to address the need for toilet fixtures for proper hygiene and sanitation. Since then, the company has expanded globally, catering to bathroom fixtures and solutions.
In 2020, HCG embarked on a decarbonization program, which included shifting its power requirements to RE.
“We are proud of HCG as they continue to make progress in their decarbonization journey. They are truly a testament that a sustainable but cost-competitive manufacturing operation is possible, even with a full RE transition. We are committed to supporting the HCG sustainability journey,” said First Gen Chief Customer Engagement Officer Carlo Vega.
First Gen has the largest portfolio of RE facilities plants that run on geothermal, wind, hydro and solar with over 1,600 MW of combined capacity. To compensate for the intermittence of renewables, adjust to changes in electricity demand and support baseload requirements, First Gen, in partnership with Prime Infrastructure Capital, has four gas-fired with a total capacity of 2,017 MW. This diversified portfolio of renewable and low-carbon generating facilities helps keep the country’s power grid stable and bolsters energy security.
