Philippines eyes partnership with UAE on nuclear energy

Hanoi – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is seeking cooperation opportunities with the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corp. (ENEC) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a bid to persify the Southeast Asian country's energy sources.

This is considered a strategic step in the effort to supplement nuclear energy to the Philippines' national power grid.

At the August 12 meeting with ENEC chairman and CEO Mohamed Al Hammadi in Manila, President Marcos emphasised the urgency of exploring the possible use of nuclear energy for power generation after the COVID-19.

Notably, the meeting took place after the visit to the UAE by Philippine First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and a high-ranking delegation from June 27-29. During the trip, the Philippines was invited to join the International Declaration on Triple Nuclear Energy-2024 Objectives at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The declaration sets the ambitious target of tripling global nuclear energy capacity by 2050.

The Philippines’ consideration of joining the declaration shows its strong commitment to pursuing clean and sustainable energy, which is also in line with the global trend of energy transition and carbon reduction.

Last May, representatives from the Board of Investments met with UAE companies to discuss possible investment opportunities in the Philippines, particularly those relating to clean energy.

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The Philippines, one of the world's largest rice buyers and biggest importers of the Vietnamese grain, officially announced a reduction in rice import taxes from 35 per cent to 15 per cent, effective in early August this year and lasting until 2028.

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