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The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is being engaged by the Philippine government to undertake updated inventory of the prospective sites for new hydropower developments in the country, according to the Department of Energy.

In a statement to the media, the DOE indicated that “the Philippines' project proposal for the inventory of hydropower potential sites in the Philippines submitted to the JICA has been approved in principle.”

It qualified that the “detailed design survey is currently underway to determine the project scope.”

The hydropower site survey is among the strategic partnerships being pursued with the Japanese government on the area of energy cooperation - and that was bolstered up anew in last week’s meeting between Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla and Japan Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Toshimitsu Motegi.

“The meeting underscores the unwavering commitment of both nations to enhance their robust and dynamic partnership on energy,” the DOE highlighted in its statement to the media.

Beyond the proposed undertaking with JICA and the continued lending portfolio of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to various energy projects in the country, Lotilla noted that one high interest item for the Philippines in its energy cooperation with Japan is on “transition financing and access to clean technologies” – primarily to underpin the country’s energy transition goal.

“The Philippines and Japan share a robust and dynamic partnership built upon mutual respect, shared values, and common goals,” Lotilla said, adding that the Japanese secretary general’s visit “highlights our shared commitment to further strengthen our strategic partnership on energy.”

That partnership is also anchored on the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), which serves as Japan’s leading initiative toward “regional efforts in addressing climate change and promoting sustainable development.”

Being a member-country on AZEC’s enclaves, the DOE conveyed that the Philippines “has actively engaged with Japan through various AZEC-related initiatives at the Presidential/Prime Ministerial, official and business levels to achieve decarbonization and promote global sustainable growth.”

Among the discussion points already initiated in the Philippines within the AZEC tenet had been those on “challenges and solutions to advance efforts for decarbonization by developing specific projects, policy development support, strengthening cooperation and promoting transition financing.”

And as the Philippines still relies heavily on coal technology in meeting its energy needs, it is likewise looking at Japan’s “experience and program to shift to cleaner technologies, through co-firing using ammonia and hydrogen.”