Let’s use hydrogen fuel, senator tells gov’t

Toyota fuel cell vehicle concept

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called on his colleagues to start considering his proposal for the development of hydrogen as an alternative source of power.

Marcos’ push for his energy bill came after a series of steep price hikes affecting both electricity and petroleum products days before Christmas.

“The latest big-time price increases in both petroleum products and electricity in the last few weeks, with price adjustments in power until the first few months of next year, were expected. There is a compelling need to shift to hydrogen as an alternative fuel as a long-term-solution,” Marcos said in a statement.

“A sustainable hydrogen power industry will extricate us from the cruel cycle of world oil price increases in the world market,” he added.

Deuterium

Marcos said hydrogen—a highly flammable substance with zero carbon emission— was already being used in Canada, the United States, Germany and Sweden as fuel for cars, trucks, jet planes and other vehicles.

Hydrogen as fuel is processed from deuterium, or heavy hydrogen, which is abundant in the Philippines, Marcos said.

Marcos’ Senate Bill No. 408, or the proposed hydrogen research, promotion and development act, will create a hydrogen research and development center that will “spearhead the development of hydrogen, said to be the fuel of the future.”

Marcos said the volatility of oil price in the world market was retarding the country’s efforts for a rapid economic growth because the Philippines is highly dependent on oil imports.

Under Marcos’ proposal, the hydrogen research and development center would be established and operated by the Department of Science and Technology.

The center is envisioned to spearhead the research, development and use of hydrogen in the country; initiate and encourage invention of, among other things, machineries, equipment and vehicles that will be powered by hydrogen, and serve as the core network of foreign investment on the development and use of hydrogen.