Around 20 representatives of German companies which have interests in the bio-energy sector attended the seminar “Bioenergy in the Philippines” in Frankfurt am Main on 26 February 2016. The program gave an introduction on the Philippines’ use of bioenergy as a renewable energy source, underlying conditions and market opportunities in the country, current practices and challenges, and prospects for financing and other business undertakings. It was also an opportunity for initial networking to pave the way for a bioenergy business mission to the Philippines on 11-15 April 2016.

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), in cooperation with the German-Philippines Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GPCCI) and Eclareon GmBH , a business consultancy focusing on renewable energy, organized the seminar. Eclareon has been in consultation with the Philippine Embassy since May 2015 on the conduct of this seminar and a prospective business mission to the country.

Organized under the BMWi’s Renewables Made in Germany program, various subject matters were tackled by several speakers, including Ms. Ruby De Guzman, Head of the Biomass Energy Management Division at the Department of Energy, who spoke on “Opportunities and Challenges of Bioenergy in the Philippines,” and Engr. Andres M. Tuates Jr. of the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech), under the Department of Agriculture, who gave a presentation on the “Status and Utilization of Bioenergy in the Philippines.”

Mr. Tobias Petersen, Project Manager for Trade Promotion at GPCCI, gave an overview of conditions in the Philippines. He highlighted the country’s advantages, such as a large and young population, the wide use of English and good level of education, the rarity of labor strikes, an efficient cost structure, good location within ASEAN and Asian region, excellent infrastructure and incentives in special economic zones, and the country’s GSP+ status, under which it can export a wide array of products to the European Union at zero tariff.

Philippine Ambassador Melita Sta. Maria-Thomeczek, in her welcome remarks, invited German companies to take advantage of the opportunities presented by Germany’s Energy Transition, or Energiewende, to bring technology solutions to the Philippines in the area of renewable energies.

“During its 70^th anniversary, the United Nations adopted a plan of action for ‘People, Planet, and Prosperity,’ or the so-called global Sustainable Development Goals,” she noted. “The 7^th of the 17^th goals adopted commits the members of the UN to ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all. The Philippines is committed to do its part to make this a reality.”

Eclareon GmbH will now coordinate the business mission to the Philippines in April. German companies and prospective Philippine partners will find more information (in German) about the mission at http://www.export-erneuerbare.de/.# – END

ZAMA, a manufacturer of carburetors for small off-road engines and a subsidiary of the STIHL Group, opened a new production plant in Santo Tomas in the Philippines. Secretary Adrian S. Cristobal jr. of the Department of Trade and Industry held a welcoming address at the inauguration on January 20, 2016. The total investment amounts to more than US$ 50 million. Speaking at the ceremony, STIHL executive board chairman Dr. Bertram Kandziora emphasized the strategic significance of the new factory: “We expect further worldwide growth and have created additional capacity with this new project. It enables us to consolidate and grow our present market share, minimize risks and, at the same time, keep customer satisfaction at a high level. In addition, it will increase our competitiveness.”

Dr. Nikolas Stihl, chairman of the STIHL advisory and supervisory boards, referred to a milestone in the history of STIHL and ZAMA: “The acquisition of ZAMA in 2009 has turned out to be a good decision. I am very proud to be able to add the newly built production plant in the Philippines to our international manufacturing network.” The new facility in Santo Tomas covers a total land area of almost 60,000 square meters and offers about 22,000 square meters of production, warehouse and office floor space. Series production is due to start in April 2016. The new factory is to produce about 2 million carburetors in 2016 with a workforce of some 650 men and women.

The Philippines is an attractive industrial location and one of the fastest growing economies in the Asia-Pacific region. Santo Tomas is situated about 70 kilometers from the capital city Manila, in a special economic zone, i.e. the “Philippine Economic Zone Authority” (PEZA) in the “First Philippine Industrial Park” (FPIP), in the province of Batangas. The PEZA simplifies the establishment of businesses for investors in certain export zones, such the FPIP, and also creates tax incentives for exporting enterprises. Furthermore, the Philippines offers generally favorable site conditions compared to other Asian countries.

The ZAMA Group is the world’s largest manufacturer of diaphragm carburetors, a major supplier of chain-lubrication solutions and tensioning kits for chainsaws and a technology leader in these fields. At the present time ZAMA has plants in Japan, Hong Kong, China and the U.S.A. The company supplies carburetors to several manufacturers of mobile and handheld gasoline power tools. Today, ZAMA has some 2,400 employees who produce more than 14 million carburetors in about 350 different versions, 4 million oil-pumps and 12 million other precision components. ZAMA has an annual turnover of about 100 million euros. END

 

References: STIHL Press Service

                       ZAMA PRECISION INDUSTRY MANUFACTURING PHILIPPINES, INC