Philippines, Indonesia reinforce energy cooperation

The cooperation will be around renewable energy and energy transition, amongst others.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Indonesian President Joko Widodo signed a memorandum of understanding to boost the countries’ cooperation in the energy sector amidst supply constraints on coal and liquified natural gas.

In a statement, the Philippines’ energy department could provide various benefits in the economic, environmental, and geopolitical aspects as cooperation will be focused on energy transition, renewable energy, demand management, electric vehicles, and biofuels.

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The Philippines has been dependent on Indonesia for coal supply, sourcing 98% of its coal imports from the neighbouring country in 2022.

The department also noted that the Philippines and Indonesia “share common energy concerns and can benefit from heightened levels of cooperation,” with the two countries both highly dependent on coal and leading in terms of geothermal generation