The agreement supports Chioson Group’s long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality in its operations.
On April 30, 2025, executives from both companies signed a renewed power supply agreement, under which First Gen will provide 2.1 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity to Chioson’s steel plants in Mandaue City and the FLB Corporate Center in Cebu City.
The electricity will be sourced from the geothermal power facilities of Energy Development Corp. (EDC), First Gen’s renewable energy arm, located in Kananga and Ormoc City, Leyte.
The agreement covers three entities under the Chioson Group: Chioson Development Corp. and Puresteel Manufacturing Corp. for the steel plants, and FLB Industries Inc. for the corporate center. Chioson has been sourcing geothermal energy from First Gen since 2020 as part of its sustainability strategy to manufacture steel products with a minimal carbon footprint.
“Over the last five years that we have partnered with First Gen, we have avoided at least 5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions,” said Bernard Chioson, COO of Chioson Development Corp.. “We take pride in knowing that every steel product we make leaves behind the lowest carbon footprint possible.”
Arlene Sy, First Gen vice president for sales and marketing, reaffirmed the company’s commitment: “As we move ahead with our drilling program to harness more geothermal energy, we are confident that we can enable and empower more companies to advance their decarbonization journeys—not just with RE supply, but with smart energy solutions to manage power consumption and costs.”
EDC is the Philippines’ largest geothermal energy provider, operating 13 power plants with a total capacity of nearly 1,200 MW, or about 60 percent of the country's geothermal output. First Gen’s renewable energy portfolio also includes wind, solar, and hydro sources, while its natural gas plants provide flexible support for grid reliability. — Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
