AboitizPower And JERA Push For Greener Fuels In The Philippines

Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower), the holding company of the Aboitiz Group's power-related investments, signed an MOU with Japan's largest power generation company, JERA, to jointly assess greener fuel potential locally.

Photo Insert: PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IN ACTION. It’s synergy in action as the Philippine government is working closely with the private sectors to commence a joint study on ammonia co-firing for the decarbonization for greener fuels. In photo, (seated from left) Senator Mark Villar, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr., together with AboitizPower Chairman Sabin Aboitiz and JERA President Satoshi Onoda (standing).

The MOU signing was done in the presence of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. together with key officials from the Philippine Government. JERA President Satoshi Onoda and AboitizPower Chairman Sabin Aboitiz signed the MOU.

Under the MOU, AboitizPower and JERA will collaborate on ammonia co-fired power generation feasibility and Philippine ammonia and hydrogen value chains. This will help AboitizPower and the Philippines decarbonize, benefiting not only the country but the entire world.

This collaboration is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 50% across coal-fired power plants. These technologies will also boost the Philippine economy by building import terminals, storage facilities, power station retrofits, and more.

“By joining forces in the pursuit of greener fuels, our two companies are not only advancing the cause of sustainability, but also paving the way for a cleaner and more vibrant future. Ammonia offers a compelling solution for decarbonizing the power sector, and by looking into it, we are taking a step towards developing the infrastructure needed to support the ammonia and hydrogen value chains,” said AboitizPower Chairman Sabin Aboitiz.

Together with its partners, AboitizPower owns and operates the Philippines' largest renewable energy (RE) capacity.

With its commitment to renewable energy research and generation, AboitizPower continues to lead the country's transition to a sustainable future. The collaboration has the potential to make the Philippines a regional leader in greener fuels and energy stability.

Through its expertise in RE and zero-emission thermal power generation using ammonia and hydrogen, JERA operates in over 10 countries with an 80 gigawatts (GW) portfolio.

JERA's mission is to solve the world's energy problems and become a global LNG and renewables leader to accelerate the clean energy economy. JERA continues to develop innovative energy solutions and strengthens value chains for greener fuels like ammonia and hydrogen.

With large-scale hydrogen production for renewable energy and natural gas growing worldwide, promoting industrial utilization and building a large-scale value chain may reduce clean power generation costs through AboitizPower and JERA research and development.

This collaboration will support Aboitiz's power decarbonization efforts and explore Philippine technology development opportunities. This MOU lets JERA use its expertise to help Aboitiz Power and the Philippines meet their emissions goals.

JERA President Satoshi Onoda said that, “This MOU allows JERA to leverage its experience and capabilities to support both Aboitiz power and the Philippines to reach their emissions targets. We are going to share the Realization of a Low-Carbon Society as a Global Leader Laying the Foundation for the Future of Energy.”

The Aboitiz Group is investing in sustainable innovation and technology as it undergoes its Great Transformation to become the Philippines' first Techglomerate.

JERA has been a strategic partner of AboitizPower since 2021, when the Japanese firm fully acquired a 27% stake in the company (including a 1.99% stake from the family's privately held parent company, Aboitiz & Company), unlocking international capabilities and expertise.

Their partnership explores new technologies to help AboitizPower achieve its 10-year renewable energy expansion to 3,700 megawatts (MW) by 2030.

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