ABOITIZ Upgrade Solar Inc. (AUSI), a joint venture under the Aboitiz Group, has signed a deal with Profood International Corp., the Philippines’ top dried fruit exporter, to build a 1.27 megawatt-peak (MWp) rooftop solar power system at Profood’s Cebu manufacturing site.
The grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) installation marks AUSI’s first rooftop solar project in the region. It will span four buildings at the Profood facility and is expected to be completed by year-end, the companies said in a joint statement Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
AUSI is a partnership between Aboitiz Power Corp. subsidiary Aboitiz Power Distributed Renewables Inc. (APx) and Upgrade Energy Philippines Inc. (UGEP). The venture focuses on distributed solar solutions for large commercial and industrial customers, part of the broader Aboitiz strategy to accelerate renewable energy adoption nationwide.
“By transitioning further into renewable energy, we are making a clear statement: sustainability is not a distant ambition, it is a present priority,” said Justin Uy, chief executive officer of Profood International Corp.
Profood, which started in 1978 and now exports to more than 50 countries, said the move aligns with its push for greener operations. The company’s rural economic footprint is significant, with around 65 percent of its gross income benefiting rural communities and over 8,000 workers employed across its facilities.
“AUSI is proud to support Profood in its sustainability journey,” engineer Gina Camacho-David, vice president and head of Retail Sales and Solutions at AboitizPower. “Their innovative shift to solar energy showcases how clean power can scale with industry.”
Pieterjan Vanbuggenhout, chief operating officer of UGEP, added that the partnership demonstrates how renewable energy adoption can complement both environmental responsibility and business performance.
The initiative supports AboitizPower’s goal to expand its renewable energy portfolio to 4,600 MW by 2030. / KOC