DOE to include hydrogen, ammonia in energy planning

The Department of Energy (DOE) will include hydrogen and ammonia as technological innovations in the propounded Philippine Energy Plan that will be extended to 2050. 

In a report by the Manila Bulletin, DOE Energy Policy and Planning Bureau director Michael Sinocruz said that they are preparing for the changes and decisions for the updating of the 2020-2040 Philippine Energy Plan (PEP). 

To date, there are already companies in the country that have disclosed plans to opt for hydrogen as a fuel shift in their gas plants or to use ammonia as co-firing to reduce emissions in coal plants. 

For instance, Aboitiz Power Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding with Japanese firm JERA Co. Inc., to explore co-firing in the latter’s coal power plants and to evaluate the potential of hydrogen fuel applications in the country. 

Lopez-led First Gen Corporation is also eyeing the conversion of its gas-fired power plants into hydrogen-equipped facilities as part of its decarbonization strategies. 

Ayala-led ACEN is also looking at hydrogen as one of its renewable energy projects in the Philippines and even in Indonesia.  

Hydrogen is considered a cleaner energy option versus gas and is considered by many power producers with gas-fired assets.

From the Asian market perspective, hydrogen is being pushed across different stages of projects in key markets like Japan, South Korea, and China, including Australia, while parallel experiments are also being done in the energy markets in Southeast Asia. 

Projections say that the global demand for hydrogen will increase by 10-fold by 2050, reaching 6 trillion cubic meters in three decades.