Once completed, the installation is expected to become the largest single-roof rooftop solar system in heavy industry in the Philippines.
Clean energy shift
The project will span around 65,560 square meters of roof space and will utilize 12,888 solar panels and 54 inverters. It is projected to generate approximately 12,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of clean energy annually—enough to supply about 25 percent of the plant’s total electricity requirements. Completion is targeted for November 2026.
The system is also expected to cut carbon emissions by around 8,400 metric tons of CO₂ each year. Over five years, this reduction is equivalent to recycling 73,500 tons of waste or offsetting 832 million kilometers driven by passenger vehicles.
As energy costs fluctuate, large industrial players are increasingly turning to renewable energy to secure more stable and cost-efficient power sources.
Industry collaboration
Buskowitz Energy will handle the project’s engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC), as well as operations and maintenance (O&M) and asset management.
“Steel plays a critical role in national development, and SteelAsia remains one of the country’s leading producers,” said Buskowitz Energy CEO James Buskowitz. “We value the opportunity to support their transition to renewable energy.”
In the pipeline
SteelAsia executive vice chair Andre Sy said the company has long integrated renewable sources such as hydroelectric and geothermal energy into its operations and is now expanding its solar capacity.
“This is the second of our mills to install solar panels, and we look forward to rolling out similar projects across our facilities,” Sy said.
The partnership underscores a broader shift among manufacturers toward cleaner and more sustainable energy solutions. — Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
