First Gen to Power Nippon Sanso Facility with 100% Renewable Energy

​Nippon Sanso Ingasco Group (NSIG), a subsidiary of Japanese multinational industrial gas manufacturer Nippon Sanso Holdings Group, has partnered First Gen Corporation (First Gen), Philippines’ leading clean energy provider, to power its manufacturing facility in Mindanao with 100 percent renewable energy (RE). This partnership underscores both companies’ shared commitment to sustainability and sets new precedent for energy efficiency within the industrial gas sector.

Under the agreement signed on April 2, First Gen will supply 2.6 megawatts (MW) of electricity from the Mindanao Geothermal Power Plant in North Cotabato, owned and operated by its subsidiary Energy Development Corporation (EDC), to NSIG’s gas manufacturing facility, located within the Phividec Industrial Estate in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.

“As part of the Nippon Sanso Holdings Group's global commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, we are continuously working to minimise our environmental impact. Partnering with First Gen to power our operations in Tagoloan with 100% RE marks a significant milestone in our sustainability journey. This initiative aligns with our commitment to adopt cleaner energy sources for our production facilities and promote sustainable solutions across our global operations. We look forward to building on our partnership with First Gen as we accelerate our decarbonisation efforts in the Philippines,” said NSIG President Takenori Kawachino.

“Transitioning to direct RE supply under RCOA comes with challenges, but the benefits far outweigh them. We are committed to helping our customers like NSIG achieve their decarbonisation objectives through ensuring stable and efficient power supply from RE sources and optimizing electricity utilization using energy efficiency solutions,” said Carlo Vega, Chief Engagement Officer of First Gen.

The direct supply arrangement between First Gen and NISIG is made possible through the Retail Competition Open Access (RCOA) provision under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001. This law allows customers with an average peak demand of at least 500 kilowatts in the past 12 months to purchase electricity directly from qualified suppliers.

Nippon Sanso Ingasco Group (NSIG), a wholly owned subsidiary of Nippon Sanso Holdings Group, is the Philippines’ leading manufacturer and distributor of liquid and compressed industrial gases for various industries such as Electronics, Food and Beverages, Steel production including hospital. With four strategically located air separation units (ASU) throughout the Philippine archipelago and hydrogen plants, we are primarily engaged in the production and distribution of Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, Hydrogen, and Specialty gases.

First Gen has a total generating capacity of 3,668 MW, suited to support the country’s energy security and RE transition. Through EDC, First Gen owns one of the largest vertically-integrated geothermal companies in the world, with a total capacity of 1,189 MW from 13 plants across the Philippines. First Gen has another 462 MW of installed RE capacity from 15 other solar, wind, and hydro plants, aside from another 2,017 MW of capacity from four other power plants that run on natural gas, a bridge fuel that offers flexible power generation and positioned to support the introduction of more RE projects in the country.