MANILA – The Philippines’ bid to increase the share of renewable energy among its sources got a boost following the award by the US government of a fund grant to the Aboitiz Renewable Inc.. a Filipino firm. for a feasibility study on the development of a wind energy project of up to three-gigawatts (3GW) of wind power capacity.
The grant award was presided over by visiting US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who highlighted in his message the importance of coordination among governments to solve several issues such as the impact of climate change.
He said the Philippines, for one, “is especially vulnerable to dealing with more intense typhoons, extreme rainfall, rising temperatures and sea levels.”
“This is a threat by definition that no one country, no one government can solve alone. We have to tackle it together and investing in clean energy is one very powerful way to do that,” he said.
The grant was extended Aboitiz Renewable Inc. through the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). “In time, that project will produce up to 3,000 megawatts of clean energy every single year. And to put that in perspective, 3,000 megawatts of clean energy, that’s enough to power more than two million poles,” Blinken said.
Data from the US Department of State said the USTDA has provided funding for several projects involving smart grids, renewable power generation, distributed energy, and energy storage systems.
It said the agency has, to date, completed 33 energy activities in the Philippines that have been credited by US firms to have generated more than USD557 million in US exports.
Blinken said the US government will support the Philippines’ bid to source 35% of its energy mix from renewable energy (RE) by 2030 and 50% by 2040.
He said the grant for a feasibility study on wind power in the country will be a major contributor to helping the government achieve its goals to tap the country’s RE potential.
“We hope to galvanize more investment in wind power. That’s an industry with tremendous potential for growth in the Philippines,” he added.
During the same grant event, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said the US government has been among the Philippines’ strong partners in terms of aid and support.
“Beyond the humanitarian assistance and disaster response, we need to zero in on the root cause of the problem and pursue solutions that will have significant impact in the long run,” Romualdez said.
He said the Philippine government hails the Biden administration’s decision to rejoin the Paris Agreement, the landmark accord aimed at limiting countries’ greenhouse emissions to limit global warming below two degrees Celsius.
The decision, he said, “reaffirmed at the highest level the US commitment to climate efforts, and we are proud and grateful for the continuing partnership in this regard,” Romualdez said, noting that the latest fund grant for a feasibility study on a wind power project in the Philippines is timely.
“The Aboitiz Renewable Incorporated, we hope will translate to new and better wind energy infrastructure that will provide Filipino homes in the near future with economical, high quality, and sustainable forest-sourced electricity,” he added.
Citing World Bank estimates, Romualdez said the country has around 178 gigawatts of offshore wind potential. “We should harness it in significantly helping in meeting the increasing demand for energy in the country,” he stressed. (With PNA)