Politics
Geographical confusion: Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven J Robinson (left) is seated behind a New Zealand flag Photo: PHILIPPINES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Trans-Tasman flag mix up 3 February 2021 1:00 GMT Updated 3 February 2021 1:00 GMT in Perth
Some things about Australia and New Zealand can be easy to confuse: they both occupy the same corner of the southern Pacific, and accents and flags can be hard for some to differentiate.
It was the last of those similarities between the trans-Tasman neighbours that left the Philippines Department of Energy with faces almost as red as the stars on the New Zealand flag.
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CEBU, Feb. 1 (PIA) Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Steven Robinson AO on Jan. 29, 2021 said they are eyeing Cebu as the first stop in the rollout of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.
Robinson said that Cebu, as the second largest city in the Philippines, will be one of their priority areas. Cebu is very, very important, he added.
Robinson said they have the Develop Assistance Program (DAP) worth 80-M Australian dollars (AUD) every year, which is mainly focused on the southern part of the Philippines.
However, because of the pandemic, he said their government decided to reorient the DAP to focus on three things: 1. Health - how to get the health back; 2. Prosperity and Security - security and stability in the south particulary in Mindanao which is badly affected; and 3. Economic Recovery.
Published January 30, 2021, 7:00 AM
The Department of Energy (DOE) inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Australian firm Star Scientific Ltd. for the latter to study and explore the potential of hydrogen technology applications in the Philippine energy sector.
The Aussie research and development (R&D) firm’s engagement for hydrogen study came with a support from the Australian government for such initiative.
In last Wednesday’s (January 27) signing of the deal, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi reiterated his belief that “there could be a lot of potential for hydrogen for the local industry given that it is seen as the fuel of the future.”
Offshore wind resources
Under the MoU, the parties will investigate ways in which Hero technology can be used to convert existing power assets within the Philippines to zero-emission hydrogen assets, such as retro-fitting existing coal-fired power plants to run on the Hero system powered by green hydrogen.
They will also look to explore utilising green hydrogen production in the Philippines using an abundance of offshore wind resources.
The parties will also look at the viability of increased distribution of emission-free power by way of a supercritical CO
2 grid network powered by Hero technology.
They will also work together to investigate desalination options for both existing and new systems throughout the Philippines through the use of the Hero technology.
The Philippine Department of Energy said on Friday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Australia-based research and development firm Star Scientific Ltd to explore the potential of hydrogen as an energy source in the country.