MANILA: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has conveyed to major players in Brunei Darussalam’s energy sector the Philippines’ interest in waste-to-energy projects as the government looks to develop other sources of energy and minimize the use of fossil fuels.
In a high-level meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan, Marcos discussed with key players in Brunei’s energy sector Wednesday potential investments in the Philippine renewable energy (RE) sector and enhancements on oil and gas collaborations.
‘There’s a great deal of interest in that (waste-to-energy). But right now, it is not at the very macro level. It’s very much at the micro level. Yeah, it’s basically local governments because there is the problem, the attendant problem of what do we do with our waste?’ Marcos said as quoted in a Presidential Communications Office (PCO) news release.
‘The old solution was to ship them somewhere else and pay somebody else to put them in a landfill. Nobody wants it anymore. Nobody is not worth [the] money anymore for anyon
e. That’s a problem, especially in the big cities. But then that’s also where that solution could be most viable,’ he added.
The President acknowledged the need for appropriate infrastructure to harness the energy coming from landfills, as well as the legal and regulatory challenges in pursuing the program.
However, he noted that Philippine legislators are now ‘coming around to the understanding that there actually are viable and clean solutions to the problem of waste disposal.’
According to the PCO, among those who met with the President were representatives from Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn. Bhd (BSP), Brunei LNG Sdn. Bhd (BLNG), TotalEnergies in Brunei, Serikandi Oilfield Services Sdn Bhd, and Adinin Group of Companies.
The discussion focused on exploring investment opportunities in the Philippines RE sector, sharing expertise and technological advancements in oil, gas, and renewable energy, and talks on sustainable practices and future energy projects, the PCO said.
The oil-rich Brunei is acti
vely exploring the potential for renewable energy-based connectivity by establishing interconnections with neighboring countries.
Source: Philippines News agency