The National Power Corp. (NAPOCOR) and the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) have collaborated to conduct a feasibility study on green hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in off-grid areas of the country.
Napocor president Fernando Martin Roxas stated that their organization’s responsibility to deliver electricity to rural areas and their dedication to optimizing power generation assets make this collaboration a valuable opportunity to modernize power systems and decrease emissions.
Roxas expressed confidence that the feasibility study will serve as a catalyst for a sustainable and environmentally-friendly energy transition in the Philippines.
The feasibility study aims to modernize off-grid power generation by exploring the potential use of green hydrogen and fuel cell technologies as alternatives to diesel systems.
The majority of the country’s off-grid islands rely on diesel plants operated by the Napocor Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG).
The company manages a total of 281 SPUG plants situated in 189 municipalities across 35 provinces within the country.
In accordance with the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, NAPOCOR is responsible for carrying out missionary electrification efforts in the most remote communities and islands that are not connected to the main power grid.
GPCCI President Stefan Schmitz noted that due to the rapid growth in energy demand in the Philippines, the existing fossil fuel power generation capacity is unable to keep pace with this growth in an environmentally friendly manner.
GPCCI and Napocor acknowledge the potential of hydrogen technology and fuel cells as alternative energy solutions for off-grid areas in light of challenges related to energy supply, rising fuel and transportation costs, and high electricity prices.
The implementation of the project, backed by the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, will be carried out in three phases.
In the first phase, two sites will be selected based on criteria including renewable resource availability, economic factors, accessibility, and community support.
NAPOCOR will supply technical and economic data, while GPCCI will assist in data collection.
During the second phase, the chosen sites will be subjected to modeling, while the final phase will entail the evaluation of project outcomes.