Project seeks to harness energy from water flow

MANILA, Philippines - A technical collaboration between Manila and Rome is planning to produce energy from the strong flow of water in the ocean. If successful, the project—currently located in Santander, Cebu—would provide a sizeable energy source that could help the Philippines’ satisfy its power requirements. The P27-million technology initiative, dubbed “Exploitation of Marine Current for Power Generation," is the first of its kind in the country. It was made possible through an Italian government grant of 300,000 euros (about P19.72 million) and a counterpart fund from the Philippines of P8 million. Earlier, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), through its attached unit PCIERD (Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development), has sent a team to Italy for training at the International Center for Science and High Technology. In a recent press briefing, PCIERD executive director Raul Sabularse said the project is part of the government’s effort to find alternative sources of energy and avert a possible energy crisis. Sabularse said the exploratory project in the municipality of Santander, Cebu intends to find out if sufficient energy can be derived from powerful waves in the area. If successful, it can be replicated in other coastal parts of the country, he said. “It’s different from hydro-thermal energy, but it’s somehow similar in the way energy is obtained," he explained, adding the technology was first developed in Italy and is ideal for an archipelago like the Philippines. Sabularse said the budget allotted for the project will be used to buy turbines, mooring, and cable equipment. Part of the grant will also be used to fund a detailed survey of the project area located in the southern part of Cebu. Also taking part in the project are Italian company Ponti de Archimede, Cebu-based Colorado Shipyard, University of San Carlos, and the local government of Santander, Cebu. A project summary of a similar initiative in Northern Ireland said marine currents, “being based on the motion of the earth, moon and sun, are predictable far into the future, unlike the weather dependent renewables such as wind, wave or solar energy." However, the report said that “any development of an energy resource depends on being able to deliver electricity at a competitive cost to make the exploitation of the resource financially viable." - GMANews.TV