Maynilad goes green, puts online P100-M solar farm

Maynilad Water Services Inc. has switched on a P100-million, one-megawatt solar power installation at the La Mesa compound, which is expected to help wring 10 percent out its electricity costs in operating the pump station.

The solar photovoltaic system occupies a land area of about 8,250 square meters, and is intended to reduce Maynilad’s dependence on the grid and fossil fuels for electricity.

Also, the project is designed for optimal use for at least 40 years to augment power supply for the pump station that runs round the clock to send out water supply from two treatment plants at La Mesa to the reservoirs for distribution to customers.

The first treatment plant is an American-designed, conventional-type plant with a maximum design capacity of 1,500 million liters a day. The second is a French-designed pulsator-type plant that has a design capacity of 900 MLD. Maynilad said both treatment plants met global standards for quality management and environmental management.

“We operate a lot of facilities to ensure nonstop delivery of water and wastewater services,” Maynilad president and chief executive Ramoncito Fernandez said in a statement.

“This new solar farm provides a renewable energy source that will enable us to generate energy savings and also decrease our greenhouse gas emissions,” Fernandez said.

He said the construction of the solar farm was a major milestone in Maynilad’s continuous bid to enhance operational efficiency and promote environmental sustainability.