November 11, 2024 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Community mall pioneer WalterMart has strengthened its partnership with Lopez-led First Gen Corp. to energize its retail centers with solar power.
First Gen and its sister company Pi Energy Inc. recently completed seven solar photovoltaic power systems for malls owned by WM Shopping Center Management Inc. (WMSCMI), the developer of the WalterMart malls.
These additional solar-powered malls are located in Quezon, Zambales, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Bulacan and Rizal.
“One of the things we’re really proud of is joining the bandwagon of sustainability, creating a future for our next generation, and not using unnecessary fossil fuel that ultimately damages the environment and the ground,” WalterMart chairman Abraham Uy said.
WMSCMI currently operates 41 community malls nationwide, with plans to install 27-megawatt (MW)-peak solar power systems across 25 of them by the end of the year.
This aligns well with the mall operator’s target of sourcing 20 percent of its power requirements from solar energy before the end of 2025.
WalterMart first tapped First Gen and Pi Energy in 2019 for the installation of a solar power facility on top of a mall carpark building in Nasugbu, Batangas.
Mark Malabanan, assistant vice president for solar and key partners’ growth at Pi Energy, said there are still ongoing installations in more WalterMart malls that are targeted for energization within this year.
“In a span of five years, our partnership has grown in terms of scale and investment, and that shows the level of commitment of WalterMart to integrate renewable energy into its operations,” he said.
Malabanan also serves as the assistant vice president of First Gen, the country’s largest producer of clean energy, with a combined capacity of over 1,600 MW from its solar, wind, hydro and geothermal power plants.
The company’s other power generation facilities run on natural gas, the cleanest form of fossil fuel, with a total capacity of over 2,000 MW.
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