DOE, Shell Group sign accord to conduct pilot study on EV charging stations supplied by RE

The Department of Energy (DOE) on Thursday signed an agreement with Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. and Shell Energy Philippines Inc. (SEPH) for the conduct of a pilot study on the potential of renewable energy (RE) to supply power to electric vehicle charging stations (EVCs).

In a statement, the DOE said a tripartite memorandum of agreement was signed by Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, Pilipinas Shell president and CEO Lorelie Osial, and SPEH president Bernd Krukenberg.

The MOA, the Energy department said, is consistent with the goals and targets of the Philippine Energy Plan 2020-2040 for the transition towards clean energy fuels and technologies and to provide the support infrastructure for the target 10% penetration rate of electric vehicles (EVs) for road transport by 2040.

The key components of the pilot study include supply, installation, operation, and maintenance of EVCs, monitoring and verification of energy efficiency, performance, and savings through the utilization of RE, and optimization of the use of cleaner energy, according to the DOE.

The outputs of the pilot study will be used as a reference for the DOE to further develop programs, policies, and regulations for the sustainable and safe adoption and operation of EVCs involving the use of RE, it said.

The data generated in the pilot project will serve as a benchmark for Pilipinas Shell and SEPH to develop and roll out the EVC network in its existing and future Shell-branded mobility sites.

“These alternative opportunities could also position Shell at the forefront of their quest for sustainable and inclusive growth by adding a more compelling long-term vision for clean technologies and renewable energy investment into their portfolio,” said Lotilla.

The DOE said the undertaking will reinforce the government’s implementation of the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

The agency said that, as of the end of 2021, there are around 9,000 registered EVs, of which three 378 are public utility vehicles (PUVs).

Meanwhile, the DOE said a national plan for the EV industry through the Comprehensive Roadmap for the Electric Vehicle Industry (CREVI) will be released by the end of the first quarter of this year after a series of nationwide public consultations.—Ted Cordero/AOL, GMA Integrated News