DoE sees P2B in savings from Asean initiative

The Department of Energy (DoE) expects to generate as much as P2 billion in savings every year should the industries participating in the Asean Energy Management Scheme (AEMAS) implement the conservation measures suggested to them.

Evelyn Reyes, director of the DoE’s Energy Utilization Management Bureau (EUMB), said in an interview that this was equivalent to about 191 gigawatt-hours of electricity consumption.

“We are looking at (generating savings of) 400,000 kilowatt-hours per establishments annually … We aim to cover large establishments consuming at least 2 million liters of oil equivalent per year,” Ms. Reyes explained.

“[These savings can be generated] assuming the industries will implement what they learned into actual implementation of energy efficiency measures in their establishments,” Reyes added.

It was only last July that the Philippines formalized its commitment to help industries implement energy efficiency and conservation measures, with the launch of the AEMAS in the country.

In the Philippines, around 500 energy managers are expected to be trained to implement the AEMAS in their respective companies over the next four years.

San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corp., Texas Instruments (Philippines) Inc. and Toshiba Information Equipment (Philippines) Inc. were the first three companies to have AEMAS-certified energy managers.

“Energy efficiency and conservation is a solution that is within our province and it assumes special significance due to the limited sources of energy in our country and our heavy dependence on imports for this purpose. AEMAS will become especially important as it will become instrumental in assisting energy intensive industries [make] optimum use of available resources,” Energy Undersecretary Loreta G. Ayson earlier said.

“Making the Philippines an energy-efficient and sustainable economy will entail great undertakings. We have to continually increase public awareness as a matter of primary importance and for industry leaders and decision makers to implement programs and policies which will facilitate us in achieving a greener future,” Ms. Ayson said.

According to Ayson, once AEMAS is fully implemented among Asean countries, it will generate energy savings of about 200,000 megawatt-hours yearly, corresponding to an annual greenhouse gas emission reduction of 110,000 tons.