The German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) brought together more than 40 biogas enthusiasts from the private sector, academe, and relevant government agencies during a multi-stakeholder roundtable discussion on biogas as a renewable energy source in the Philippines.
The forum was organized as part of a develoPPP project to raise awareness for biogas technology in the Philippines, train Filipino biogas technicians, and establish biogas research and yield testing capacity in the country. The project was initiated by the German biogas technology provider LIPP GmbH and is 50% co-financed by the German Investment Corporation (Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft – DEG) through public funds of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
During her keynote speech, German Ambassador Anke Reiffenstuel of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Philippines stressed that biomass is a reliable renewable energy source – as compared to wind and solar which are dependent on weather conditions – that can play an important role in the renewable energy mix of the Philippines. In Germany, renewable energies contribute 44% to the country’s overall energy mix of which 7.7% are generated through biomass.
According to Ruby De Guzman, Assistant Director of the Renewable Energy Management Bureau (REMB) of the Department of Energy (DOE), renewable energy comprises 29% of the installed capacity and 22% of the gross power generation of the Philippines as of November 2022 and December 2021 respectively. In those years, biomass accounted for 2% of installed capacity and 1% of gross generation in the country.
As a renewable energy (RE) source, biogas is more versatile in its use than other RE sources, such as the wind and sun, whose use is limited to generating electricity and heat. Biogas, on the other hand, can also be used as cooking gas, and once upgraded to a higher methane content, as transportation fuel. In addition, biogas production holds great potential to convert biodegradable waste into energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through carbon capture.
The easing of foreign ownership restrictions for investments in the renewable energy sector opens opportunities for technology transfer to increase the production of biogas as a viable contributor to achieve energy security in the Philippines.