German solar energy firms seek Philippine partners

Eight German solar energy firms are coming to the Philippines this month to have a firsthand look at the local solar power scene and to look for possible local partners for solar energy projects.

According to Henry Schumacher, vice president for external affairs at the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), the visit of the eight companies was part of the “Renewables-Made in Germany” program of the German government.

The program entailed bringing German firms to Southeast Asian countries to explore opportunities in the renewable energy industry.

“Germany is a world leader in renewable energy technology, and they are coming to the Philippines to look for potential partners and projects,” Schumacher said in a statement issued Wednesday.

Of the eight companies, three firms—Hoppecke Batterien GmbH & Co. KG, Schott Solar AG and Sonnenwerft GmbH—were already doing business in Asia, with projects in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

The other five companies—Donauer Solartechnik Vertriebs GmbH, Energiebau Solarstromsysteme GmbH, IBC Solar AG, Inutec Solarzentrum GmbH i.G., and SMA Solar Technology AG—would be seeking possible business ventures in Asia for the first time.

All eight companies have no presence in the Philippines.

“These companies export as much as $100 million in solar technology annually. We are confident that if they find the business environment in the country conducive to investing in renewable energy, they will stay for the long term and increase their presence,” Schumacher said.

While in the Philippines, the eight solar energy firms will also meet with officials of the Department of Energy and the Board of Investments as well as executives of different financial and educational institutions.

Schumacher said more German companies engaged in renewable energy development would be coming to the Philippines in the coming months.

Next year, he said German companies from the biomass and biogas sectors would also be visiting the country to look at the renewable energy environment and to seek possible partners.

Apart from the ECCP, helping bring these German energy companies to the Philippines are the German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Deutschen Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.