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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider PH-Norway to tackle pressing maritime issues

PH-Norway to tackle pressing maritime issues

Published Oct 10, 2022 04:03 pm

The first Norway - Philippines Maritime and Energy Conference “Create Currents” will feature over 90 Norwegian companies and 45 speakers to discuss pressing issues and further strengthen the strong business relations of the two countries in the maritime and energy sector.

The two-day conference scheduled on Oct. 13-14 in Manila will tackle the most pressing maritime issues, and push for sustainability and innovation in both sectors.

“Norway is a long-term partner of the Philippines. Our maritime cooperation spans over 100 years. We are bringing a century-old Norwegian tall ship to celebrate our common seafaring history,” said Norwegian Ambassador-Designate to the Philippines Christian Halaas Lyster. “We are also looking to expand these strong ties into new industries, such as renewable energy, where Norwegian companies have a lot to offer,” he added.

At present, there are over 25,000 Filipinos working on Norwegian-controlled and Norwegian-owned ships. Moreover, there are over 50 companies with Norwegian maritime interests established in the Philippines.

Norway is the fourth largest shipping nation in the world measured by value, and one of the leading nations when it comes to shipping technology and zero emissions solutions for the maritime sector. The goal is ambitious: by 2050, the entire Norwegian fleet will be carbon neutral. The conference will present solutions and technologies for the present transitional period and for a carbon neutral near future.

It will also present solutions and technologies involving hydrogen, ammonia, bio energy and offshore wind – to mention a few. These rapid changes in the industry together with global socio-economic uncertainties will require agility from both ship owners and managers to attract, retain, and recruit for the future. Enhanced competence and skills development become even more important. With world class Filipino talents, the partnership of Norway and the Philippines will continue to strengthen.

In the energy sector, Norway is a world-leading player in renewable energy and ready to assist the Philippines in its goal of increasing the share of renewable energy in the energy mix by 30 percent by 2030.

“Norwegian companies and investors can play a very crucial role delivering renewable energy solutions to the Philippines. This for example includes developing offshore wind and floating solar, in addition to LNG as a transitional source of energy,” said the Norwegian ambassador-designate to the Philippines.

He said Norway is not a newcomer to the Philippine energy market. Norwegian company Scatec owns and operates four hydropower players together with Aboitiz Energy. Their joint venture, SN Aboitiz Power, also installed floating solar technology on the Magat Dam in 2019. The technology was provided by Ocean Sun, another Norwegian company. Others are also looking into deploying innovative solutions for floating solar in the Philippines.

On liquefied natural gas (LNG), Oslo-based BW is a partner of local company FirstGen LNG in developing LNG capabilities for the country.

BW's FSRU facility and the ship BW Batangas, an LNG processing facility, is the debut project of the five-year LNG partnership. Norway is also looking forward to introducing new renewable energy technologies, where the Philippines has a competitive advantage. A recent World Bank report has shown that the country has the potential to develop up to 178 GW of offshore wind.

Norwegian companies are looking forward to exploring these opportunities with local partners in the Philippines. The two-day conference is organized by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila, Norwegian Training Center (NTC), Norwegian Shipowners Association (NSA), and the Philippines - Norway Business Council (PNBC).

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