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The Department of Energy has encouraged Philippine
companies to push independent power producer (IPP) contracts in the
Middle East in light of their success in the local power industry.
DOE Secretary Raphael P.M.
Lotilla said “Filipino power companies that have already gained a
lot of experience as an IPP should look at west Asia as an
opportunity for expansion.”
He added that companies expanding
in the Middle East to “export their expertise” could be an
alternative to sending out Filipino workers over there.
Earlier, First Gen officials
disclosed offers they had received for a possible partnership abroad
but did not disclose details pending the results of studies
currently being conducted.
Trans-Asia Oil and Energy
Development Corp. (TA Oil), on the other hand, is eyeing investments
in the upstream oil industry in undisclosed locations in Africa.
Meanwhile, Lotilla revealed that
Asia’s Energy ministers are set to conduct a meeting in Saudi
Arabia in May, which will “focus on investments in the upstream
and downstream infrastructure in east and west Asia as well as
energy security.”
He said the meeting is an
opportunity for DOE to encourage more “petro-dollars to be
reinvested” in the Philippines and the rest of South East Asia.
The government is targeting other countries to expand their refinery
and petrochemical capacity in the Philippines.
 --Euan
Paulo C. Añonuevo
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