THE French-Filipino ties aim to prioritize bringing more stable power supply to the Philippines, the French ambassador to the Philippines said.
“Energy security is one priority that had been defined by both our presidents President Marcos and President Macron when they met and had discussion on that,” Michele Boccoz, Ambassador of the French Republic to the Philippines, said in a press conference in Acacia Hotel, Davao City, May 5.
Boccoz said one of the steps to bring more stable power supply to the islands is the recent signing of memorandum of cooperation (MOC) in Acacia Hotel, which seals the partnership of integrating the Philippines and South East Asia’s first hydrogen power plant in Zamboanga Sibugay.
The 50-hectare power plant will be constructed in Talusan, Zamboanga Sibugay, aiming to supply power to Olutanga, Talusan, and Mabuhay (Oltama) municipalities in Zamboanga Sibugay, in partnership with Mindanao Development Authority (MinDa), the provincial government of Zamboanga Sibugay, and City Government of Pagadian.
Meanwhile, Mathieu Geze, Hydrogène de France (HDF) Energy Philippines Holdings Philippines president, said an estimated P50 million will be spent on this project. The HDF project combines an intermittent renewable source and mass, long-term storage energy through a hydrogen chain.
The hydropower plant will only use solar energy and water to produce electricity, which avoids greenhouse emissions and several pollutions.
Geze added that the hydropower plant can be completed within 2 years' time.
“We won’t try to compete directly with larger gas corporations as we try to provide electricity at a local level... [hydro energy] has potential to many areas, well in the whole Philippines,”
Meanwhile, MinDa chairman Maria Belen “Mabel” Sunga-Acosta said the said adoption of hydropower technology from France might exceed their target of a “50 percent renewable energy and 50 percent fossil fuel” for their power supply sources by 2030.
“At the rate that we’re going, through the cooperation with the French ambassador representing France and especially the private sector of HDF we might be able to do more than 50-50 by 2030,” Acosta said.
“We’re doing good and we hope that not only green energy [renewable energy], but also blue energy [energy from water] will also come into picture,” Acosta added. ICE