SteelAsia targets carbon emission cuts in Bulacan through solar project

STEELASIA Manufacturing Corp. said on Wednesday that its solar project at its Bulacan facility is expected to reduce 2.3 million kilograms of carbon dioxide each year.

“The company has six plants all over the country with additional plants planned in the coming years,” SteelAsia said in an e-mailed statement.

SteelAsia signed an agreement with global multi-energy company TotalEnergies of France on Jan. 9 for a 1.9-megawatt solar rooftop project at its Meycauayan facility.

“Approximately 80% of our energy requirements come from geothermal power,” SteelAsia said, noting that it uses green manufacturing technologies at its plants in Davao and Cebu.

At the same time, the company said that it has invested in automated furnaces that reduce emissions and ensure optimal burning, saving fuel by up to 30% compared to other furnaces.

SteelAsia is also currently building the country’s first section mill in Lemery, Batangas, which will produce H-beams and large angle bars needed for infrastructure and cell towers, respectively.

The steel company said that the steel products — H-beams and large angles — are currently imported into the Philippines, similar to most other steel products used in construction and infrastructure projects.

“SteelAsia is on a mission to build a full-fledged steel industry that will replace imports, generate jobs, and create new business opportunities upstream and downstream all over the country,” the company said.

Last year, the Board of Investments (BoI) endorsed SteelAsia’s P19.3-billion section mill project for the green lane, which the investment promotion agency said would offer an import-substitution strategy, targeting the domestic market for the sale of the mills’ output.

The project is expected to start operations in July and employ 600 Filipino personnel and workers.

In 2022, the BoI stated that the Philippines imported around $5.25 billion worth of steel, allowing the country to rank 20th among the top importers of steel globally. — J.D. Tabile