The geothermal industry in the Philippines is facing major challenges particularly in the development of new resources and growth/expansion of existing fields. As a result, geothermal growth has been stunted and the Philippines has slipped to 3rd worldwide in terms of installed capacity. Thus, NGAP would work for: (1) to be the recognized leader in the promotion and development of geothermal and other renewable energy resources in the Asia-Western Pacific by 2030; (2) actively promote its strategic initiatives on encouraging and facilitating the development and utilization of geothermal resources; (3) promotion of international research on emerging technologies and innovations; and (4) providing a unified voice and a respected advocate for the sustained and responsible development of geothermal and other RE resources.
On the local front, (1) There is a need to enhance the awareness of all members on what they can gain from and contribute to NGAP especially those from the project sites. The revival and updating of the NGAP website and the regular update on social media will hopefully improve the situation. The invite to affiliated companies to join the different Committees for their inputs and awareness can also help. We really need active participation from the members.
(2) NGAP needs to sustain the promotion of geothermal, one of the better alternatives to conventional fuels for heat and power generation. The current notion on the high cost of RE (including geothermal) needs to be improved and we need to think of how best to approach this concern. There is a need to look at the “true costs” of the different energy sources. The FIT-all is viewed negatively due to the general consideration of the face value of electricity bills. An actual study on the true cost of power perhaps in collaboration with relevant government agencies should reveal some interesting data and facts.
(3) The RE Bill of 2008 has an R&D component and supposed funding allocation that is not used or implemented. Although there is cursory mention of development of emerging technologies, there is no concrete plan on this. In the past, there were collaborative projects (or research) among companies (e.g. PNOC EDC and Chevron/PGPC). We should pursue selected studies that could benefit geothermal. The Board of Trustees needs to give some serious thought considering confidentiality of data which at present is considered as material issue to the company. NGAP should help address the limitation. We have the same concern during the past technical conferences. We need to convince higher management of the different companies on the benefits of collaborative studies.
(4) We need to continue with the influencing efforts especially on critical proposed bills in both Houses of Congress, though we need to focus on the most important ones. An effort for legislation addressing the risks associated with the exploration phase of geothermal should be pursued. Models from Europe and Africa are worthwhile models.
On the international front, NGAP needs to: (1) Assess how best we can get value and also contribute to the IGA and IGA-AWPRB as an affiliated organization. NGAP can pursue a seat in the IGA Board and attend the IGA meetings which are held in venues world-wide. There are programs and funding including training that we can propose and avail of from IGA; (2) Improve participation in regional conferences (within Asia-Pacific region); (3) pursue R&D and innovation studies among members of AWPRB especially Indonesia; and (4) look at preparation and participation in WGC2020.
With NGAP’s 3-year Work Program being prepared by the Committee Chairpersons, this needs to be supported with the appropriate human and financial resources. Targets for the program will be set including the best strategy on its implementation. This will be a challenging and exciting term for the Board of Trustees and for the association members as an NGAP Team!!!
Lauro F. Bayrante
Vice President – National Geothermal Association of the Philippines
