The Status and Prospects of Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology in the Philippines

As a developing country, the Philippines must balance its rapid industrialization efforts with the realities and consequences of climate change on the country. A feasible option to achieve this is increasing the share of renewables in power generation coupled with energy storage technology. This paper examines the present situation and opportunities for development of hydrogen and fuel cell technology in the Philippines as promising alternatives with proven applications in niche energy demand sectors aside from renewables integration. Although the Philippines is considered a latecomer, there is significant renewable resource potential, available local experts and trained talents, and enabling legislations in the country that provide opportunities in harnessing fuel cell technologies for the transition to energy self-sufficient and low-carbon society. Current advancement of the technology in the country is limited to an initial 5-year roadmap, focused on component development from cheap and local materials. Provisions for large-scale hydrogen infrastructure have not yet been realized, which is comparable to the early stages of development in other countries that are also pursuing fuel cell technology. Strong industry-academe partnerships should be pursued through a specific legislated agency to ensure future development of this technology for the country’s benefit. Lastly, applications in distributed power generation poised to be a lucrative direction, as demonstration and validation with other potential uses such as transportation remains a challenge.