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Razon-led Manila Water Co. and newly entered retail electricity supplier PrimeRES Energy Corporation switched on their first retail aggregation program (RAP) for 10 water facilities.
In a switch-on ceremony on Thursday, Feb. 27, Manila Water President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jocot de Dios explained that pioneering RAP through their water and wastewater infrastructure would not only minimize energy costs but also integrate renewable energy (RE).
“Through this collaboration with the ERC [Energy Regulatory Commission], we have helped refine the RAP to offer greater flexibility in energy sourcing, freedom from choosing power provider and empower to negotiate for lower electricity tariffs,” he said.
“This initiative strengthens our ability to power water and wastewater treatment facilities efficiently while ensuring that cost savings translate into improved services for our customers. At the same time, this step forward contributes to a more competitive and sustainable energy market that benefits the nation,” de Dios added.
Roel Castro, President and CEO of PrimeRES, expressed excitement about the company’s first customer since its entry into the RES sector in 2024.
PrimeRES is a subsidiary of the Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. (Prime Infra).
Castro also mentioned that PrimeRES is eager to expand its capacity and highlighted Manila Water’s involvement as a key step in introducing competition to the energy market.
“We’re looking into the megawatts in terms of our target for the year but it’s a very challenging market. I could count more than 20 are already interested [in PrimeRES] and there’s a second one [to be announced] on the 26th of March in Iloilo,” he said during an interview.
This collaboration was able to transition Manila Water’s facilities, which have a combined capacity of 500 kilowatts (KW), to a contestable market under RAP.
This includes the Heroes Hill sewage treatment plant (STP), FTI (South) STP, Kalayaan STP, San Mateo (North) STP, East Avenue lift station, Road 5 (Project 6), Mahabang Parang lift station, UP Diliman STP, Diego Silang STP, and Olandes STP in Marikina.
Furthermore, this recent move is anticipated to boost the adoption of retail competition and open access (RCOA) to allow a dynamic and competitive energy market for consumers and businesses.
