Globe starts transition of 3,000 cell sites to renewable energy

AYALA-LED Globe Telecom, Inc. said it has started shifting more than 3,000 cell sites and other low-energy utilization facilities to renewable energy (RE) as part of its net-zero goal.

In a media release on Thursday, Globe said these cell sites are in Metro Manila and Region IV-A, with the full transition to renewables expected to be completed by 2028.

The listed telecommunications company said the initiative forms part of its strategy to accelerate its net-zero ambition. Globe is also the first telecommunications and digital service provider in the country to adopt the government’s Retail Aggregation Program (RAP).

RAP allows multiple electricity end-users to combine their power demand to meet the 500-kilowatt threshold required to directly negotiate with licensed retail electricity suppliers.

Globe said the gradual shift of its sites to renewable energy is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5.5 million kilograms per year, while supplying 80 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually from renewable sources.

The company added that the move follows its adoption of sustainable and green energy across 33 high energy-utilization facilities — 22 of which are supported through power purchase agreements with ACEN Renewable Energy Solutions (RES), the retail electricity supply unit of ACEN Corp.

RAP also enables Globe to decarbonize its operations and reduce its overall environmental impact.

“We are grateful to the Department of Energy for leading the renewable energy transition and to the ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) for enabling us to transition our smaller sites,” Globe Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer Yoly C. Crisanto said in a media release.

The partnership also supports the government’s goal of increasing the share of renewables in the country’s energy mix to 35% by 2030 and to 50% by 2040.

“Through this latest initiative, Globe operationalizes its climate action strategy by sourcing RE across more parts of its network infrastructure, as it seeks to maintain its position as the country’s most sustainability-driven network,” the company said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose