URC installs solar panels in Southeast Asia centers

NIVERSAL Robina Corp., the food group of the Gokongwei family business, said it has installed solar panels on its facilities in Southeast Asia as part of its push to save energy in its factories.

UThe maker of Chippy, Piattos and C2 iced tea drinks brand said its Thailand subsidiary has finished installing solar panels on 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 General Manager Tanant Suwanraks said URC Thailand has lined up more projects in line with its goal to help mitigate the devastating impact of climate change.

“We believe that the main core for businesses to carry on is to be responsible to the people, community, society, environment and our planet,” he said.

URC Thailand began putting solar panels on its facilities in September 2019. The project is meant to reduce the company’s use of fossil fuels in favor of cleaner energy.

On the other hand, URC in the Philippines has been installing solar panels at its manufacturing facilities. It has up to 1 megawatt installed at its plant in Canlubang, Laguna and some 21 kilowatts at its Vitasoy facility in San Fernando, Pampanga.

Meanwhile, the company’s Vietnam subsidiary has ongoing installation of 3 MW of solar rooftop system panels in its coffee plant located in Vietnam Singapore Industrial

Park Binh Duong, as part of URC Vietnam’s sustainability initiatives on renewable energy, reduction of water/energy usages and recycling activities.

The said solar panel system covering 18,500 square meters of roof area can potentially supply of about a fifth of actual consumption of the plant and can also reduce temperature around four to five degrees Celsius as thermal insulation effect on the factory roof. Plans for other URC Vietnam factories will also follow.

“We aim for a low-carbon economy by optimizing the use the of renewable energy,” David Lim, URC’S chief sustainability officer said. “URC is gearing towards net zero (emission) by 2050.”