THE Department of Energy (DoE) is exploring the potential of green hydrogen production in urban areas along with fuel cell projects, which could be carried out with potential partners from Germany, the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) said.
The DoE was in discussions with the chamber with the aim of “forging partnerships between Philippine and German stakeholders on the integration of green hydrogen and fuel cell technology into the Philippines’ renewable energy roadmap,” the GPCCI said in a statement.
The discussions were carried out virtually on Nov. 24.
Green hydrogen is produced with zero-carbon renewable energy instead of fossil fuels and has the potential to provide clean power for manufacturing and transportation, with only water as its byproduct.
“Reliably storing clean energy, mainly from solar and wind in the Philippines, is an ongoing challenge and limits its use as a backup power,” GPCCI’s Deputy Executive Director Charlotte Bandelow added.
The GPCCI said that the green hydrogen initiative comes as Philippine energy usage increases in line with economic and population growth.
“While coal still makes up most of the Philippines’ energy mix, there is a continued expansion of renewable energy sources which is the basis for green hydrogen production,” it said.
The German Embassy in Manila’s Commercial Counsellor Georg Maue told the DoE that although the transition from fossil fuels to climate-friendly renewable energy sources is challenging, Germany can provide support for the transition via technical expertise and partnerships.
The Philippines has committed to bring the share of renewables in its energy mix to 35% by 2030, three times the 2010 level, facilitated by reform measures such as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPIRA), the Biofuels Act of 2006, the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, the Climate Change Act of 2009, and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act.
The GPCCI, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU), is assessing the market potential for green hydrogen applications in Philippine urban areas. — Marielle C. Lucenio
