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The Philippines has vast stores of renewable energy
sources, which the government intends to tap in its bid to provide
energy security for the country.
This was among the points raised
by Department of Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes as he delivered the
keynote address at the opening yesterday of the 30th Annual
Scientific Meeting of the two-day 30th Annual Scientific Meeting of
the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Philippines at
the Manila Hotel. Its theme was energy security and sustainability.
NAST is the country’s highest
policy advisory body on science and technology and is affiliated
with the Department of Science and Technology. It is made up of
leading science and technology academics in Philippine universities.
In his address, Reyes pointed out
the numerous alternative and renewable energy sources for power,
which the Philippines could use amid the energy crisis. Increasingly
tapping them to form part of the country’s energy mix forms part
of the policy thrusts of the government’s energy security plan,
according to him.
The secretary pointed out that
wind resources from various sites in the Philippines added up to a
total size of 10,000 square kilometers with 76,000 megawatts of
potential installed capacity. On the other hand, the Philippines has
geothermal reserves able to generate 4,406 megawatts of electric
power.
Reyes also cited other renewable
energy resources with potential to deliver power, which are
hydropower,147 megawatts in the Visayas alone; minihydro-potentials,
1784 megawatts from 888 sites all over the country; rice hulls, 277
megawatts; bagasse, 236 megawatts; ocean energy, 170,000 megawatts,
and solar energy, 5.0 to 5.1 kilowatts per hour per square meter
throughout the country daily.
He said these renewable resources
are already being tapped, accounting for a total of 5,445.476
megawatts of energy produced in the country in 2007. Of this total
amount, 3,367.070 megawatts were produced by hydropower.
Geothermal resources accounted
for 2,027.065 megawatts; wind, 25.250 megawatts, biomass, 20.930
megawatts; and solar energy, 5.161 megawatts.
At an impromptu press briefing
following the opening ceremonies, Reyes said that the thrust to make
better use of the country’s renewable energy resources would have
to employ the expertise of Filipino scientists to turn this
potential into reality.
--Ike Suarez
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