Manila Water activates solar plants in 3 facilities

Manila Water Co. President and CEO Jose Victor Emmanuel “Jocot” Dios visits La Mesa Dam at Intake 1, one of the five intakes in the dam where water passes through and goes to the treatment plants. (File photo dated June 29, 2024 from INQUIRER / LYN RILLON)

Razon-led Manila Water Co. Inc. has energized its 2.5-megawatt solar power plants in three facilities as the group targets to boost its clean energy usage.

The company said the activation of the solar photovoltaic rooftop systems happened earlier this week, allowing it to generate about 3.6 million kilowatt hours every year.

The select Manila Water facilities are the Cardona Water Treatment Plant (WTP), East La Mesa WTP, and San Juan Compound.

“In the last couple of years, we tried to make this a reality. We like to quadruple [our use of renewable energy] and grow it as much as possible,” Manila Water President and Chief Executive Officer Jocot de Dios was quoted as saying in a statement Thursday.

Late in 2023, Manila Water teamed up with Ditrolic Energy Philippines for the construction and management of the solar plants.

The group said the newly fired-up power plants were part of its target to have a 30-MW solar portfolio.

Energy Assistant Secretary Mylene Capongcol said the government has been seeing more traction from the retail supply sector doing the shift to clean power sources.

READ: Manila Water energizes largest solar plant installations in 3 key areas

Last November, Manila Water raised P10 billion from China Banking Corp. to jack up its capital spending.

In 2023, the group also secured two loan contracts amounting to P17 billion to support its capital expenditures.

Manila Water serves the east zone network of Metro Manila, covering parts of Marikina, Pasig, Makati, Taguig, Pateros, Mandaluyong, San Juan, portions of Quezon City and Manila, and several towns in Rizal province.

The firm also operates Laguna, Clark, Boracay, and Estate Water water and wastewater businesses.

Outside the Philippine market, Manila Water has also investments in Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.

For the first nine months of 2024, Manila Water said it booked P10.1 billion in earnings following higher rate adjustments and boosted demand from consumers.

The figure was a 39-percent improvement from the P7.2 billion the group recorded a year ago.