Capitol University Medical Center (CUMC), one of the largest private medical facilities in Mindanao, marks a milestone by becoming the first hospital in the region to be fully powered by renewable energy (RE), in partnership with First Gen Corporation (First Gen), the leading RE provider in the country.
Under the agreement signed by CUMC and First Gen officials last month, the latter would supply 900 kilowatts (kW) of geothermal power to support the electricity needs of the 200-bed hospital, including its Kidney Institute, and other specialty care facilities.
The company will source the renewable energy supply from the Mt Apo Geothermal Plant in Cotabato, owned and operated by First Gen subsidiary Energy Development Corporation.
“We are pleased to be the first medical center in Mindanao to be powered directly by geothermal energy that is also harnessed from Mindanao. We look forward to reaping the benefits of using renewable energy not just for helping the environment, but for doing our part to improve the health and well-being of Kagayanons,” said Dr Rosalinda Deleste, CUMC President.
CUMC was able to connect directly to geothermal energy, the only RE source that can run consistent, 24/7 baseload capacity, through the government’s Green Energy Option Program (GEOP). GEOP enables eligible power users with average peak demand of at least 100 kilowatts over the past 12 months to source 100% of their electricity requirements from RE suppliers.
“Geothermal energy is ideal for hospitals, industries and other businesses that need reliable RE supply It’s an honor to support CUMC as they begin their journey towards decarbonization,” said First Gen Chief Customer Engagement Officer Carlo Vega.
First Gen has over 1,700 megawatts (MW) of RE capacity from over 22 geothermal, wind, solar and hydro facilities.
Aside from the Mt Apo geothermal facility, First Gen owns and operates a 1.6 MW run-of-river mini-hydro facility in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon that uses water flowing from the Agusan River. The company is also expanding its portfolio in Mindanao with two other planned hydro projects—the 32-MW Bubunawan Hydro project in Libona, Bukidnon; and the 40-MW San Isidro Hydroelectric Power Project, along the Cagayan de Oro River. Both proposed projects plan to utilize run-of-river design, which means electricity is generated by using a river’s natural flow without building a large dam or reservoir.
