[ad_1]
The Department of Energy (DoE) and Australian-based research firm Star Scientific Ltd. signed an agreement to study hydrogen as a possible source of energy for the country’s energy needs.
In a press release on Friday, the DoE said it had signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Star Scientific Limited on Wednesday.
Star Scientific is known for its proprietary Hydrogen Energy Release Optimiser (HERO) technology, which converts hydrogen into heat without burning.
The memorandum of understanding allows the Philippine government and the Australian company to partner to study how the use of hydrogen energy could help the Philippines achieve energy independence and significantly reduce the country’s carbon dioxide emissions.
The Department of Energy and Star Scientific will work together to find ways to enable the latter’s HERO technology to turn existing electrical installations into unlimited zero-emission hydrogen assets; and increase the viability of distributing emission-free energy through a network of supercritical carbon dioxide networks, among others.
“We hope to be able to use hydrogen as fuel for electric vehicles and as part of the future energy mix of the country,” said Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, one of the signatories of the memorandum of understanding.
He added that there is great potential for hydrogen energy in the country, reiterating that it is considered the “fuel of the future.”
On the Star Scientific website, the firm’s global group chairman Andrew Horvath said he was proud that an Australian innovation, HERO, had caught the attention of a national government.
“This agreement with the Department of Energy of the Republic of the Philippines represents a significant milestone in the development of the global hydrogen economy,” he said.
“This will represent the biggest boost for Australia’s role in developing the global hydrogen economy, ushering in a new era of research, development and deployment in the manufacturing and installation of all parts of the hydrogen supply chain. We are particularly grateful and excited to be part of the next phase of the Philippines’ economic growth, ”he added.
Data from the Department of Energy showed that coal comprised 44.5% of the country’s energy mix in 2015, followed by natural gas with 22.9% and geothermal with 13.4%. Currently, hydrogen is not part of the country’s generation mix.
[ad_2]
