Manila Water shifts East Zone operations to full RE

RAZON-LED Manila Water Co., Inc. has shifted the operations of its major facilities in its East Zone service area to renewable energy (RE), a first for the Philippine water sector, the company said on Wednesday.

In a statement, Manila Water said it signed a renewable retail electricity supply agreement with AdventEnergy, the retail electricity arm of Aboitiz Power Corp., as part of its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

“We take pride in formalizing this partnership. It truly makes a difference in the lives of our customers knowing that a water utility can work with a partner like AdventEnergy to deliver sustainable solutions that we have worked so hard to pursue,” Manila Water President and Chief Executive Officer Roberto R. Locsin said.

Under the agreement, AdventEnergy will supply 100% renewable energy to the water utility’s operations in Metro Manila and Rizal within the East Zone.

Meanwhile, non-East Zone business units, including Cebu Water, Tagum Water, Calbayog Water, Laguna Water, Estate Water, LARC Water, Boracay Water, and South Luzon Water, will be supplied with a 20% renewable energy mix.

“This pursuit goes hand-in-hand with Manila Water’s promise of creating better lives and resilient economies through the provision of critical infrastructure,” AdventEnergy President James Yu said.

The collaboration, which began in 2023, aims to contribute to the government’s renewable energy agenda and national decarbonization efforts.

Manila Water also participated in the government’s expanded retail aggregation program (RAP) after consolidating the power demand of its 10 wastewater facilities.

RAP allows end-users within the same franchise area to combine their electricity demand and qualify as a single contestable customer, enabling them to participate more competitively in the retail electricity market.

Manila Water serves the East Zone of Metro Manila, covering parts of Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Pateros, Mandaluyong, San Juan, portions of Quezon City and Manila, as well as several towns in Rizal province. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera