"Good for people, economy, and planet”: JICA and Japanese renewable energy firm Advantec team up with PEZA

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Japanese company Advantec Philippines, Incorporated are supporting the Philippines break new grounds in renewable energy (RE) to address the urgent issue of climate change, attract more investments and create more jobs, through a recent partnership with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

The tie-up is part of JICA’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) promotion program that utilizes Japanese innovations in implementing development cooperation projects.

JICA described the cooperation with Advantec and PEZA as “groundbreaking” and likewise strongly aligned with the Philippines’ direction to roll out RE sources in addressing global warming, power woes and fueling investments in economic zones.

“JICA has been actively undertaking its PPP promotion program that encourages more business deployment of Japanese companies in the Philippines. These Japanese companies introduce unique and advanced technologies and business models that are geared towards sustainable development. JICA keeps on supporting Filipino friends in line with the co-benefit approach. This co-benefit approach is important and realistic for a win-win situation, aiming to both development and climate benefits, where we do something good together – good for the people, good for our economy, and good for the planet,” said JICA Chief Representative SAKAMOTO Takema.

Advantec will introduce its unique solar power technology in the Pampanga Economic Zone with the capacity of annual energy yield of 3.6 million kilowatts and the potential to reduce approximately 1,200 tons of CO2 annually.

For the initial stage of the cooperation, Advantec will conduct a study to determine the viability of solar power technology operation in the ecozone, and how it fits into Philippine laws and regulations. They will also identify with PEZA rooftops or land areas for the pilot project sites.

JICA added that such partnership is powerful to also give potential RE investors ideas on the best pathways to participate in the Philippine RE landscape.

Earlier this year, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made a pronouncement to aggressively promote RE in the Philippines. In his 2nd State of the Nation Address (SONA), he announced that the Philippine target was to achieve 35% RE share in the power mix by 2030 and 50% by 2040 and added that the Philippines opened RE projects to foreign investments to accelerate the realization of this green energy goal.