Australian firms to establish green energy generator project in PH

Australian-based development and construction companies Southern Infrastructure Pty Ltd. and Kaizen ANZ Pty Ltd. are planning to build and operate a Thorium fueled reactor in the Philippines as alternative renewable sources of hydrogen and nuclear power via a public-private-partnership (PPP) agreement with the Philippine government,  according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

DTI Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual reported the Philippines’ potential in terms of renewable energy (RE) investments during the meeting with the two companies on Monday, Oct. 9, in Adelaide, Australia, emphasizing that the country is exploring alternative sources like hydrogen and nuclear while exploring sustainable practices.

In the meeting, Pascual said they discussed a potential project in developing, building, and operating an initial 40 MW Thorium fueled simple-high-temperature gas-cooled reactor – STGR20 (V) to deliver a safe, sustainable, and green (CO2=0) base load energy at the lowest kilowatt-hour rate in the market ($0.03.8 kWh).

Further, the system will also be able to produce green hydrogen for transport, desalinated water as a by-product, and gamma radiation as a by-product to allow long-term storage of food products.

The DTI statement did not mention any investment cost for the project, but stated that project is set to commence in mid-2024 and to conclude construction by 2027. It is also anticipated to create at least 1,000 local jobs during its construction and operation.

The two companies, experts in delivering complex infrastructure projects for the government and the private sector both in Australia and internationally, expressed their interest in entering into a PPP agreement with the Philippine government to build and deliver the project.

Pascual underscored that the Philippines is looking into alternative renewable sources of power such as hydrogen and nuclear while also exploring further studies to establish relevant policies and sustainable practices.

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Credit belongs to: www.mb.com.ph