Universal Robina Corporation has installed solar panels at its facilities here and abroad as part of its environment-friendly push.
URC Chief Sustainability Officer David Lim said that the ongoing initiative is anchored on one of URC’s core strategies, that of building a people- and planet-friendly culture. “We aim for a low-carbon economy by optimizing the use of renewable energy,” said Lim. “URC is gearing towards Net Zero by 2050.”
In the Philippines, URC has installed solar panels that supply up to 1 megawatt of power at its plant in Canlubang, Laguna, and another 21 kilowatts at its Vitasoy facility in San Fernando, Pampanga.
Its Thai subsidiary, meanwhile, has finished installing solar panels atop six factories and four warehouses at its compound in Samut Sakhon province, southwest of Bangkok. The solar panels can generate an estimated 6 megawatts of power.
URC Thailand began installing solar panels at its facilities in September 2019 under its “URGreen with Thailand’s Solar Panel Rooftop” project, which aims to reduce the company’s use of fossil fuels in favor of cleaner energy.
URC Thailand General Manager Tanant Suwanraks said that more projects are being planned in line with its goal to help mitigate the devastating impact of climate change.
“We will not stop with the solar panels,” he said. “We believe that the main core for businesses to carry on is to be responsible to the people, community, society, environment and our planet.”
The company’s Vietnamese subsidiary also has an ongoing installation of solar panels at its coffee plant in Vietnam Singapore Industrial Park. The project forms part of URC Vietnam’s Sustainability initiatives on renewable energy, reduction of water/energy use, and recycling activities.
The 3-megawatt solar panel system, which covers 18,500 sq. meters of roof area, can potentially supply 21% of the plant’s actual energy consumption. It can also reduce indoor temperatures by around 4 to 5 degrees Celsius by having a thermal insulation effect on the factory roof. Plans for other URC Vietnam factories are to follow.
For more information on URC, visit urc.com.ph
