RP seeks to become regional hub for renewable energy technologies
MANILA – The Department of Energy targets to become the regional hub for renewable energy technologies in the next five to seven years that is expected to spur the growth of the country’s renewable energy manufacturing sector, a government official said over the weekend.
Energy Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan told reporters that the once the Philippines has successfully demonstrated the development of natural resources for energy, other countries will emulate.
“They will be able to see the market, the technology of the market, so they will now put up their manufacturing or assembly plants here,” Marasigan said.
“One of the visions we’re working on, if we develop the resources then we will be able to demonstrate the technologies. If it works well, then the market will be there, because many would also want to develop,” he said.
Marasigan believes that the Philippines can become a regional hub because it now hosts US firm SunPower Corp.’s solar fabrication facility.
“That’s doable because we already have Sunpower here. SunPower will not invest here if they did not consider that part of the market would be the Philippines,” he said.
Marasigan said even if the government has already put in place the necessary policy framework for renewable energy development by passing the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, a lot still needs to be done.
“Everything is needed, development of the resource, demonstration of the technology so they will come here. Those manufacturing plants, if there is no market, they will not put up facilities, so if you have developed the market, there will be a need for equipment,” he said.
Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras earlier said there are still 382 renewable energy contracts that have yet to be approved, of which 255 are for hydro projects; 62 for wind; 23 for biomass; 21 for geothermal; 18 for ocean energy; and three for solar.
The energy chief said there are still some issues that needs to be resolved for the renewable energy sector such as the feed-in tariff, the rate charged for each renewable electricity source and the renewable portfolio standards, wherein suppliers of electricity selling will have to buy a certain percentage of their power from renewable sources.
The department has already signed 205 renewable energy contracts that would generate 4,400 megawatts of clean energy and investments worth P87.74 billion.*PNA
