Norway eyes introducing offshore wind energy to Philippines — envoy

Norwegian Ambassador to the Philippines Bjorn Jahnsen said on Wednesday that Norway has committed to helping the Philippines when it comes to renewable energy sources. 

Speaking to reporters after his courtesy call on President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., Jahnsen said he mentioned to Marcos the offshore wind energy that could provide job opportunities for Filipinos.

"Norway has made investments in the Philippines in renewable energy and more companies and more investments will come in the coming years—offshore wind, floating solar and also hydro. So that’s the plan for the future for Norway and the Philippines... really to increase our imprint on renewable energy in the country," Jahnsen said.

"I mentioned to the President-elect that according to a study by the World Bank: A Roadmap on Offshore Wind for the Philippines, which we think, will be an important new sector in the country that presents great opportunities for the Philippines in the future," he added.

Jahnsen said the new sector could provide 50,000 "good-paying" jobs for Filipinos. However, he said this needs amendments to the Philippine government's policies on foreign firms.

"That requires some adjustments and policies on the Filipino side. For instance, foreign companies should be able to own a majority of the equity in these types of investments as they often are investments with several billions of dollars and foreign investors would like to have a certainty of having a majority stake in their investment," he said.

According to Jahnsen, offshore wind is "basically the best wind resource in the Philippines," adding that Norway has been developing this project.

The Norwegian Embassy in Manila has said that Norway is a world-leading player in renewable energy and is a committed partner to achieve the Philippines' goal of a 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from a 2020 baseline by 2030.

"This is a great opportunity for the Philippines for a plenty supply of energy. As you know, the country is growing in economy and energy consumption is increasing so offshore wind is really one of your best bets for the future," Jahnsen said.

Aside from energy issues, Jahnsen said he and Marcos also discussed maritime issues. He added that Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl would dock in Manila in October of this year.

He also said he invited Marcos to attend and speak at a conference on renewable energy in October. 

Meanwhile, Norway will continue supporting measures that will ensure peace in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

"Norway is the vice chair of...[an] independent decommissioning body charged with decommissioning former combatants. We have achieved 20,000 former combatants being decommissioned so far, out of 40,000, so we are halfway there," Jahnsen said.

"We look forward to continuing our support to bring peace to the Bangsamoro also during the next administration," he added. — RSJ/VBL, GMA News