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Green energy gets cash injection in the Philippines

November 20, 2018

In the Philippines, polluting coal is still the number one source of energy. Renewable energy can't compete because it's difficult to secure financing. But that is changing.

A view of high-rise buildings in the Philippines
Image: DW/H. Ernst

Philippines: Solar power instead of coal

06:38

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Project goal: Making it easier to get commercial bank loans for environmental projects

Project implementation: Berlin-based Renewables AG trains technical consultants, who ensure that energy efficient projects are also profitable, making it easier for them to secure financing

Project budget: €3.2 million ($3.62 million) as part of Germany's International Climate Initiative (IKI)

Solar panels on the roof and coal-fired power plants next door: That's the reality for people living in the picturesque Philippine coastal town of Atimonan.

Coal is still the island nation's number one source of electricity. But people there want to consign coal plants to the past and increase the number of solar panels as well as the share of other kinds of renewable energy.

That's an expensive prospect. Financing is difficult to secure as green energy projects are usually seen as risky investments. Now a bank in the capital Manila wants to make money available to help turn the tide on the polluting fossil fuel.

A film by Joanna Gottschalk

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