At the very same time as these visits took place, a renewable energy delegation of some 18 companies from New Zealand also visited Manila — a reminder that the same geological attributes that make both New Zealand and the Philippines vulnerable to earthquakes can also be harnessed for electricity generation.
New Zealand and the Philippines have a long and proud history of energy cooperation. In the early 1970s, as the world sought alternative sources of fuel to oil, technical assistance funded by the New Zealand Government helped contributed towards the development of the first geothermal energy fields in the Philippines, at Tongonan and Palinpinon.
Nearly 40 years on, and the Philippines is the world’s second largest generator of electricity from geothermal steam. New Zealand is also a major geothermal player, with our companies looking for opportunities offshore. New Zealand companies provide consulting services and technical support to partners in the Philippines and scholarships provided by the New Zealand aid programme have included those for post-graduate study at Auckland University’s geothermal institute including, in recent times, an official from the Department of Energy’s geothermal energy division.
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