Century Pacific Food Inc. (CNPF), a food and beverage company, is expanding its renewable energy initiatives by funding the development of its Solar PV Capacity and additional new biomass boilers.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), the company aims to further develop its solar power facility in General Santos City, which also serves as its largest manufacturing hub producing tuna and coconut products.
“In addition to being an environmentally forward choice for CNPF, investing in solar unlocks value for the company and enhances our operational resilience,” said CNPF’s President and CEO Ted Po.
The solar capacity currently in operation has grown by 65%, reaching 8.6 MW from a capacity of 5.2 MW, and is expected to reach full operation by March 2024.
Furthermore, CNPF also uses renewable energy (RE) alternatives for its coconut operations by commissioning new biomass boilers.
With the use of coconut shells as biomass fuel, the new boiler technology could reduce the need for coal by turning byproducts into power. With this, the company looked forward to a 36% decrease in coal consumption.
“The expansion of our biomass boilers, utilizing coconut shells from our operations also serves as an eco-friendly substitute for coal, contributing to substantial reductions in carbon emissions,” said Vice President for Coconut OEM Noel Tempongko.
In an effort to reinforce its commitment to more environmentally friendly production methods, the company launched its first solar PV plant in 2021. By the end of 2022, more than 60% of the hub’s power needs had been supplied by green energy sources.
CNPF has since expanded its solar plant, allocating over Php 380 million, in addition to incorporating an on-grid PV roof solar system.