THE Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) is seen to showcase Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation’s (MPTC) role in decarbonizing the transport sector.

MPTC chief finance officer and senior executive sponsor for sustainability Christopher Lizo said the infrastructure project is part of the company’s commitment to build with least disruption to the communities and the environment and supporting Philippines’ first nationally-determined commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emission by 75% by the year 2030.

CALAX is a 45-kilometer high-speed road network connecting the provinces of Cavite and Laguna, aiming to serve around 45,000 motorists upon its completion.

As of today, CALAX operates from Binan, Laguna up to the east of Silang, Cavite. It is set to be fully completed by 2023.

The MPTC said CALAX is being integrated with resource-saving and emission-reduction technologies while maintaining the high standard of road safety features of the expressway.

Toll plazas are equipped with solar panels that can power its own operations. The total power output of 116.58kWp, since installation started in May 2021, has avoided over 10,200 kg of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is equivalent to having planted 304 trees.

Solar panels and inverters are expected to be operational for 25 years and 10 years, respectively.

All future toll plazas and offices along the road alignment shall have provisions of solar photovoltaic system installations.

Lightings and roadway lightings are installed with LED fixtures, thereby improving the company’s energy efficiency measures. Ongoing and future projects shall utilize energy-efficient equipment not only for light fixtures but also for air-conditioning units and refrigerators.

The MPTC said it is also implementing carbon offsetting initiatives by planting trees or creating biodiverse areas along CALAX to offset the company’s emission and eventually, vehicular emissions of the customers.

Areas of green spaces were developed in various locations along the expressway, including Mamplasan Entry/Exit, Santa Rosa Interchange, and Santa Rosa-Tagaytay Entry/Exit.

There are also ongoing landscaping activities at Subsection 5-Silang East Interchange.

The company targets to plant 20,000 trees by the end of 2022.

MHI’s headquarter MPT South HUB located in Imus, Cavite, is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It provides a framework for healthy, highly-efficient, and cost-saving green buildings.

While pushing for ecological balance, the toll road company is studying how to further transition its operational toll roads to more sustainable highways.

“MPTC’s Green Highway Initiative in CALAX aligns with MPIC’s sustainability efforts that support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in upgrading all industries and infrastructures to make them sustainable and promoting innovation in building assets in adherence to the company’s commitments to climate action,” the firm said.

CALAX is a project of MPCALA Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of MPTC, the infrastructure arm of the Metro Pacific Investment Corporation (MPIC).