Eastern Communications Philippines, Inc. (Eastern Communications), has forged a partnership with First Gen Corporation (First Gen) to power the telecommunication company’s headquarters and technical operation centers with renewable energy (RE).
The partnership marks a significant milestone in the telecommunication company’s initiatives to enhance operational resiliency and future-proof its facilities.
The agreement signed last Feb. 11 by officials of Eastern Communications and First Gen, entails supply to the telco of 1,300 kilowatts (kW) of geothermal energy sourced from First Gen’s Unified Leyte generating plants located in Tongonan in Ormoc City and Kananga, Leyte.
“Eastern Communications understands that embracing sustainability is about honoring our natural resources and contributing to a circular economy, which is why we are transitioning towards renewable energy. The company aims to do its part in decreasing the country’s overall carbon footprint and we are thrilled to do this together with a trusted partner like First Gen,” Atty. Aileen Regio and Jaeson Evangelista, co-coordinators of Eastern Communications, said in a joint statement.
“Information and communication technology services need support systems that are stable and reliable. With geothermal energy, Eastern Communications will be able to power its operations with a much lower carbon intensity. It is our privilege to partner with them to achieve their sustainability objectives,” said Arlene Sy-Soriano, head of sales and engagement of First Gen.
The partnership between Eastern Communications and First Gen is enabled by the government’s Retail Competition and Open Access program, which allows large-demand electricity consumers to directly contract with power suppliers. Eastern Communications, the country’s first telco company, is aiming to significantly expand its network and portfolio of services to sustain its steady growth. Its fiber network runs
about 11,400 kilometers with a total of 169 nodes in 77 cities nationwide. The company offers custom solutions from an extensive portfolio of services that include connectivity solutions, network solutions, security solutions, cloud and data center solutions, and business applications.
First Gen is the leading provider of RE in the Philippines with 1,700 megawatts (MW) of capacity from geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar sources. To bolter national energy security and complement intermittent RE sources, First Gen also holds a 40-percent stake in four gas-fired power plants with a combined capacity of 2,017 MW, majority-owned by Prime Infrastructure Capital, Inc.
