CLARK FREEPORT—A manufacturing company of cellulose, collagen and plastic casings as well as packaging materials for meat products here will be a pioneer firm among Freeport locators in the country to install the first industrial-scale solar power rooftop project.
Viskase Asia Pacific Corporation (VAPC) Plant Manager Josh Go said they already signed a contract to install the $680,000 solar panels in their buildings which can generate 600 kilowatts (kW) of electricity.
Go made the announcement during the “Balitaan” media forum organized by the Capampangan in Media, Inc. (CAMI) in cooperation with the Clark Development Corp. at the at Bale Balita here on Friday.
Go said the solar panels will be installed starting next month and is slated to be completed by February 2019. He said that Mettle and Grip, a leading contractor and developer of solar energy while Canadian Solar will be the supplier of the solar panels that will be used for the project.
Canadian Solar has one best solar panel quality worldwide, he added.
When completed, the installation of some 1,900 solar panels will help eliminate at least 12.3 Million pounds of carbon footprint.
Go explained that the 600 Kw, base load, will only be used only during the day because the cost of batteries for night operation is still expensive.
He added that the project is in fulfillment of their thrust to help reduce energy consumption and introduce the benefits of renewable and sustainable energy to other establishments.
He also said this is also a commitment of the company to ensure environmentally sound operations beyond the purpose of reducing their operating costs.
“We are promoting renewable energy and hopefully some other companies inside Clark will also explore this kind of project,” he said.
Go said around P270 million which is equivalent to the import cost of oil will be eliminated in 25 years with the solar project and also equivalent to about 18,000 trees planted on an annual basis.
Meanwhile, CDC Communications Division manager Noel G. Tulabut said under the Green Building Code, firms that help in the reduction of energy consumption and promotion of renewable energy may get certain incentives from the state-owned firm.
“Under the Green Building Code, companies that will implement renewable energy programs and projects may entitle them to certain incentives,” he said.
Viskase is an American company that manufactures meat product casings. It has introduced the first synthetic sausage casing made from regenerated cellulose which allows large productivity for ready-to-eat meat products.
The manufacturing firm has eight companies all over the world including Poland, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, France and two in the US.
