On September 5 and 6, 2023, the Royal Norwegian Embassy and British Embassy in Manila hosted a two-day workshop to support the Philippines’ rapid transition to renewable energy and rapid advancement on offshore wind.

The Royal Norwegian Embassy and British Embassy in Manila, in collaboration with the Global Wind Energy Council and Det Norske Veritas, hosted a two-day symposium on September 5 and 6, 2023, to support the Philippines’ rapid transition to renewable energy and rapid development of offshore wind.

British and Norwegian experts from the private sector shared their insights and experiences on various offshore wind topics, including port development, Skills & Training, Grid and transmission, Health & Safety, and Emergency Preparedness.

These seminars are a continuation of ongoing collaborations between the UK and Norway in various subsectors of the renewable energy industry in the Philippines. British and Norwegian businesses are enthusiastically engaged in the transition to renewable energy.

The Philippines has been gaining traction internationally, with at least 77 service contracts awarded by the Department of Energy to local and international offshore wind developers. 

Significant alliances have also been formed between the Philippine developer Alternergy and the British company Shell. 

AboitizPower has joint ventures with Norwegian companies Mainstream and Scatec to develop renewable energy in the Philippines. These are exemplary instances of major players collaborating and sharing knowledge to develop offshore wind initiatives in the United States.

Since its conception, British and Norwegian firms such as Arup, BVG Associates, DNV, Carbon Trust, and ERM have participated in the Philippine offshore wind industry. Corio Generation, a developer from the UK, is also preparing to advance offshore wind projects in the Philippines.

At this 2-day workshop, representatives from other British and Norwegian companies, including Baringa, Kongsberg Digital, Rystad Energy, Low Carbon Contracts Company, RSK, Reactive Technologies, Norwegian Training Centre, and Vissim, demonstrated a keen interest in the opportunities the Philippines presents.

Christian Lyster, the Norwegian ambassador to the Philippines, stated: “Norway is the global leader in the offshore wind industry. The energy and maritime sectors are the most significant for Norwegian companies and investments in the Philippines. The offshore wind industry is the intersection of these two industries.”

Grid & transmission being one of the industry’s main challenges, the UK’s National Grid and Norway’s system operator Statnett supported the workshop by sharing best practices in smart grid systems and injecting renewable energy into the grid.

Laure Beaufils, British Ambassador to the Philippines, stated: “The UK is proud to be the second-largest offshore wind market and home to the world’s largest offshore wind farm. I am thrilled that we have collaborated closely with the Philippine government and our partners to share the lessons of the UK’s offshore wind journey. The UK has a complete ecosystem of Renewable Energy suppliers, and these businesses are enthusiastic about the Philippines’ dynamic RE market. We are committed to assisting the Philippines in achieving its offshore wind and broader renewable energy goals.”

While the grid, ports, policies, and regulations are crucial to offshore wind development in the Philippines, the upskilling of maritime employees and other local talents for the offshore industry represents a tremendous opportunity for the country.

Ambassador Lyster of Norway added: “There is already a demand! Thousands of new workers will be required to construct and maintain offshore renewable energy installations if nations are to realise their renewable energy goals. The Philippines are in an ideal position to capitalise on this opportunity. We are here to make this a reality.”

By 2030, the UK hopes to attain 50 gigawatts of offshore wind power. Norway intends to install 30 GW of offshore wind by 2040. Both parties have lofty goals for inventive floating technology. 

New technologies and innovative solutions will be utilised to accelerate offshore deployment, reducing costs yearly.