PHILIP Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC), a joint venture between Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. and Fortune Tobacco Corp., on Tuesday inaugurated its $3.1-million solar-power plant inside its 25-hectare manufacturing facility at the First Philippine Industrial Park in Tanauan City, Batangas.
PMFTC tapped Spectrum, the renewable-energy unit of Manila Electric Co., in putting up the former’s 2.5-megawatt (MW) ground-mounted own-use solar plant. With the installation, PMFTC Inc. has become the third affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI) in Asia to have its own solar- power plant, next to Pakistan and Indonesia.
PMI manager for environment Carlos Sanchez said the solar-power facility’s capacity “will cover 10 percent of the actual needs of the factory.”
“This is just the first phase and we are watching. We want to see, test how the production works. But it’s really easy to expand. We have space to do it. We want to make sure we invested in the right one,” Sanchez said when asked if there is a plan to expand the ground-mounted own-use solar-power facility.
This is also Spectrum’s single-largest project, said Spectrum commercial services head Robet Marlon Pereja, who added that the company has so far installed a total of 10 MW.
“It depends on PMFTC. I’m very confident the plant will achieve and even surpass the expected results. I think there’s room for expansion. This is a very large plant,” said Pereja when asked if there are discussions with PMFTC to expand the facility soon.
The solar facility can withstand a Category 5 typhoon and 8-magnitude earthquake. The electricity produced through this process is considered clean energy that does not create any additional carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
“The new solar-energy project also hopes to achieve PMI’s target of at least 40-percent reduction in its carbon footprint across its whole value chain by 2030. With the Batangas factory now partially powered by solar energy, the initiative is expected to reduce more than 2,000 tons of CO2 annually,” PMFTC operations director Joao Brigido said.
The solar plant was constructed in support of the Philippine government’s Renewable Energy Roadmap 2017-2040 that seeks to establish at least 20,000 MW of renewable-energy sources by 2040.
PMFTC external affairs director Varinia Elero-Tinga said the company hopes to contribute to the Philippine Government’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030 through this project.
Since the inauguration of the Batangas factory in 2003, PMI has grown its investments in the Philippines to include the renovation and rehabilitation of the PMFTC Inc. Marikina manufacturing facility, the establishment of a PMI regional leaf warehouse in Subic and the construction of a leaf-facility and buying station in Claveria, Misamis Oriental.
PMI is a leading international tobacco company, with a diverse work force of around 81,000 people. It manufactures six of the world’s top international 15 brands, spanning more than 180 markets.
