DOE, energy firms sign pact on EV charging stations

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 ten percent (10%) penetration rate of electric vehicles (EVs) for road transport by 2040, the Department of Energy (DOE) today signed a Tripartite Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (PSPC), and Shell Energy Philippines, Inc. (SEPH).

Signed by Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla, PSPC President and CEO Lorelie Q. Osial, and SEPH President Bernd Krukenberg, the primary objective of the MOA is to conduct a pilot study of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCs) supplied by renewable energy (RE), such as solar.

The key components of the pilot project 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.

“I commend PSPC and SEPH for collaborating with the DOE for this laudable undertaking — a sound testament of their resoluteness in maximizing value creation while contributing to global climate change mitigation,” Lotilla said.

The outputs of the pilot project 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.

Meanwhile, the data generated in this pilot project will serve as a benchmark for PSPC and SEPH to develop and roll out the EVC network in its existing and future Shell-branded mobility sites. Thus, the parties expect a high likelihood of more EVCs in the near future.

“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,” the Secretary added.

This undertaking will reinforce the government’s implementation of the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) signed and adopted in 2022, with an enabling environment for the adoption of EVs and its support charging station infrastructures and support innovation of clean, sustainable, and energy-efficient technologies.

As of end of 2021, there are around nine thousand (9,000) registered EVs, of which three hundred seventy-eight (378) are public utility vehicles (PUVs). Also, three hundred twenty-seven (327) charging stations have already been deployed nationwide.

Meanwhile, the 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.