Cleanergy: AboitizPower’s commitment to clean and renewable energy

MANILA, Philippines – In an ideal world, finding the means to supply our country’s energy needs is just a matter of funding. In reality, the challenge is to meet growing energy demands while keeping the impact on the environment as light as possible. And to this end, companies are beginning to look for clean and renewable sources of energy.

As one of the major players in the power generation industry, AboitizPower takes this same route with its Cleanergy brand. Through Cleanergy, AboitizPower pledges its commitment in using sustainable energy to cover most of our energy needs.

Cleanergy is an energy solution harnessed from the company’s hydroelectric and geothermal generation assets that will encourage AboitizPower consumers towards a more responsible choice.

“Once open access is in place, AboitizPower will make Cleanergy an option for consumers to reduce their carbon footprint and attain a more sustainable lifestyle. So our role is to make them aware that using clean and renewable energy is actually the best way to accomplish that,” explains Erramon Aboitiz, president and CEO of AboitizPower Corp.

By providing renewable energy sources with its own brand in Cleanergy, AboitizPower hopes to strengthen the consumers’ affinity with their brand.

For AboitizPower, the Cleanergy brand is not just another token effort to showcase another “green” initiative. In fact, hydroelectric and geothermal power already accounts for 42 percent, or nearly half, of AboitizPower’s total power generation.

Among AboitizPower’s hydroelectric generation assets are the Bakun plant in Ilocos Sur, the Magat plant in Isabela and the Ambuklao plant in Benguet. The latter two are in partnership with Norwegian company SN Power.

In their new Sibulan hydroelectric plant, pipelines were laid out in such a way as to avoid harming the area’s vegetation. The system, incidentally, also makes their river waters cleaner after the process of going through the headpond.

Meanwhile, in Luzon, they’re currently operating two geothermal power plants: the Tiwi plant in Albay and the Makban facility along the border of Laguna and Batangas. Even when compared to the relatively clean natural-gas-fueled power plants, geothermal fields produce only a fraction of the carbon dioxide emissions that the former produce. It’s also relatively inexpensive; savings from direct use can be as much as 80 percent over fossil fuels. And unlike solar and wind energy, geothermal energy is always available, 365 days a year.

In addition, the company has a number of “run-of-river” hydroelectric facilities located in Benguet and Davao. These types of facilities are designed to make use of the natural flow and elevation drop of a river. With no reservoirs or impoundment dams that would flood the upper part of the river, natural habitats are preserved.

“Our portfolio of generating assets located all over the country also allows AboitizPower to make Cleanergy accessible to most markets,” says Aboitiz.

Cleanergy: The smarter choice

Not only does it leave a lighter impact on Earth’s climate and its limited resources, it also provides Filipino consumers more competitive and more stable electricity rates. This is because these types of energy sources are not dependent on the price of oil or any other types of fuel in the market.

“So we think that by using Cleanergy, you’re making the smarter choice and at the same time you’re making your voice be heard. Because you don’t only reduce your carbon footprint and do your share in taking care of our environment, you are actually giving a signal that we should build more renewable energy generation capacity,” Aboitiz adds.

AboitizPower’s extensive foray into clean and renewable or “green energy” sources could very well set the tone for the rest of the power industry as it looks for more innovative means of meeting the country’s energy demands with the environment in mind.

“The race for alternative energy sources is more than about gaining market share. We at AboitizPower are committed to a better future because we know that if we do not improve the course that we are currently in, we will be leaving behind a totally different world to our children, and we don’t think that is fair,” says Aboitiz.

AboitizPower is the holding company for the Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution, retail and power services. It is a major producer of renewable energy in the country with several hydroelectric and geothermal assets in its generation portfolio. The non-renewable portfolio consists of plants throughout the country. The distribution utilities it owns and operates are located in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.–Bernard Masa (The Philippine Star)