CEBU-BASED listed company Vivant Corp. is allocating P46 billion ($780 million) in capital expenditures (capex) through 2030 as it accelerates investments in renewable energy (RE) and water infrastructure, positioning itself to weather global energy volatility and climate-driven resource challenges.
Vivant’s water business also has a projected investment of up to P10 billion up to 2030, spanning new expansions on bulk water supply, wastewater treatment and distribution.
In a media briefing on Thursday, June 19, 2025, Vivant chief executive officer Arlo Sarmiento said the bulk of the capex will be funneled to renewable projects such as solar, wind and battery storage projects.
Vivant targets 30 percent of its total generation capacity to come from renewable energy by 2030.
Sarmiento said their focus on renewables is not only about achieving power sustainability by providing clean, reliable and sustainable energy sources but also about insulating their portfolio from oil price shocks linked to geopolitical tensions such as the Ukraine-Russia war and currently the Iran-Israel conflict, among other factors.
“We saw oil (price) jump by 15 percent and a couple more days, it went back down, so we see the volatility. But one thing this really stressed is that we have to accelerate our push towards RE to cushion us from these volatilities. It really shows that we made the right decision to focus (on RE) and we want to make sure to hit our RE targets by 2030,” said Vivant Energy president Emil Andre Garcia.
“From a marco-economic lens every time, there’s conflict, the whole world gets jittery. We saw that in Ukraine… and this is major, with what is happening in the Middle East. We expect markets to take a more conservative approach at least for the short term. I hope it (war) won’t prolong, and hopefully it would be business as usual. But we are prepared, regardless,” added Sarmiento.
A big-time oil price hike of almost P5 is expected this week due to global jitters over a supply disruption resulting from a possible escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict.
Vivant’s renewable projects in the pipeline include the San Ildefonso Alternative Energy Corp., a solar project in Bulacan that is still under construction with commercial operations set in 2025. Vivant also owns an equity stake in a 206 megawatts wind project of Lihangin Wind Energy Corp. in Northern Samar with target commercial operations in 2027.
However, the company also plans to retain some capex for conventional power plants to ensure baseload stability during the transition. One in the pipeline is the expansion of Therma Visayas Inc. in Toledo, Cebu.
Q1 earnings
Vivant’s consolidated core net income rose 42 percent to P318 million in the first quarter of 2025, supported by strong generation and distribution performance.
Vivant’s energy business contributed a total of P505 million to the company’s income. The distribution business was the biggest contributor with P281 million, accounting for 56 percent of the total energy business. contribution. Power generation followed, contributing P277 million. The retail energy segment had a loss contribution of P54 million as the increase in solar rooftop revenues was offset by the retail electricity supply business due to the expiry of some of its customer contracts.
Vivant’s water business, which is still in its investment phase, had a loss contribution of P9 million during the period.
Despite the decline, the company’s water infrastructure unit is also scaling up investments in water resilience, as climate-related shortages strain regional supply.
Desalination plant in Cordova
Vivant Water president Jess Anthony Garcia said the company is close to commissioning the Philippines’ first utility-scale desalination plant in Cordova, Cebu, a joint venture with Metro Cebu Water District.
He said the Isla Mactan desalination plant is currently undergoing testing and commissioning with target commercial operations before the end of the year. He said the company is eyeing to expand their water projects also in areas where they have “energy presence” in the future. / KOC