A German national flag flies atop the illuminated Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany. — REUTERS

A GERMAN business delegation is in the Philippines to explore opportunities to collaborate in renewable energy (RE), smart grid technology, and storage solutions, the German business chamber said.

At the Conference on German Technologies for RE Integration in the Philippines, German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) Vice-President Tristan Arwen G. Loveres said around 68 business-to-business meetings were arranged for the delegation, which is in the country until June 26.

“German companies have a valuable opportunity to contribute (to the diversification of the Philippine energy mix) through advanced technology, engineering expertise, and collaborative ventures that unlock the full potential of the Philippine energy sector,” he added.

The visiting companies include battery manufacturer BAE Batterien, solar photovoltaic project developer Blueberry Energy, engineering and consultancy firm Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG, and scalable electrolysis systems designer H2 Core Systems GmbH.

Also with the delegation are Reprocon GmbH, Skysails Power, and SMA Altenso GmbH.

“We see tremendous potential for German companies to contribute to the Philippine energy sector, particularly in renewable energy and smart grid solutions,” said GPCCI President Marie Antoniette Mariano.

“This mission reflects Germany’s commitment to building lasting partnerships in sectors with real impact,” she added.

David Klebs, Germany’s Economic Counselor to the Philippines, said Berlin wants to support the Philippines in achieving its commitments under the Paris Agreement.

In particular, he said that there are seven ongoing bilateral projects between the Philippines and Germany amounting to 53.4 million euros.

“We also opened last year the Transformative Actions for Climate and Ecological Protection and Development (TRANSCEND), which was a major project (which involved) a loan of 32.7 million euros,” he added.

He said energy is one of the key areas for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. “The Philippines is one of those countries with a lot of potential, and especially now as we are seeing a geostrategic shift, the German government is advising companies to look into diversifying their investment in Asia,” he added.

He said that another business mission from Germany will be coming to the Philippines in November to explore opportunities in the water industry. — Justine Irish D. Tabile