OMNI Features｜DOE Philippines and USAID Ink Nuclear Energy Pact．Sumitomo Invests in Norwegian Offshore Wind Support Vessel Operator IWS Fleet．The World's First Hydrogen-Powered Tugboat "Hydrotug 1" to Aid Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Achieving Carbon Neutrality

｜DOE Philippines and USAID Ink Nuclear Energy Pact
The Department of Energy (DOE) has partnered with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to enhance the cooperation in nuclear energy between the Philippines and the US. As the 2 countries already signed a Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement or the 123 Agreement in November 2023. The 123 Agreement allows the US to transfer nuclear equipment and components to the Philippines for peaceful use.

DOE Secretary Raphael Lotilla and USAID Philippines Mission Director, Ryan Washburn, signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the development of a comprehensive civil nuclear energy policy in the Philippines on the sidelines of the Indo-Pacific Business Forum (IPBF). Under the MOU, the USAID will commission a study on nuclear power viability to assist the Philippine government in engaging stakeholders for improved public acceptance of nuclear power in the country. The study aims to provide an overview of the technical, socio-economic, financial and regulatory aspects of nuclear power in the Philippines, as well as explore scenarios of incorporating nuclear energy in the country’s overall energy mix.

｜Sumitomo Invests in Norwegian Offshore Wind Support Vessel Operator IWS Fleet
On May 27, Sumitomo Corporation Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Sumitomo), headquartered in Tokyo, reached an investment agreement with Norwegian company IWS Fleet AS (IWS Fleet), which owns and operates offshore support vessels. The investment is expected to be finalized in June.

With the increasing number of offshore wind installations, the demand for Offshore Support Vessels is also rising. Among these, Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOV) play a crucial role during the construction phase of offshore wind farms, providing accommodation for engineers working on offshore turbines and ensuring their safe transportation to the turbines. The demand for CSOVs in Europe is also gradually increasing, with projections estimating that over a hundred vessels will be needed by 2030.

The parent company of IWS Fleet is Integrated Wind Solutions ASA (IWS), which was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in Norway in 2020. The company operates offshore wind services and offshore support vessels. Its subsidiary, IWS Fleet, owns a fleet of 6 vessels (2 completed and 4 under construction), making it the second largest CSOV fleet globally.

This marks Sumitomo Corporation's second investment in the offshore support vessel sector. The company owns four heavy lift crane vessels used for transporting wind turbine components (2 in operation and 2 under construction). In its mid-term operational plan announced in May 2024, Sumitomo has positioned the development of the offshore wind supply chain business as part of its "Green Transformation" (GX) initiative.

｜The World's First Hydrogen-Powered Tugboat "Hydrotug 1" to Aid Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Achieving Carbon Neutrality
Europe's largest export port, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, is currently committed to fully greening its entire service fleet with the aim of achieving its 2050 carbon neutrality goal.

Launched by the Belgian shipping and clean technology company CMB.TECH in 2023, the world's first dual-fuel hydrogen-powered tugboat, "Hydrotug 1," uses 65% hydrogen as its energy source for operations at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges. The adoption of Hydrotug 1 is a pivotal strategy for the Port of Antwerp-Bruges to achieve carbon neutrality.

Peter Degroote, Nautical operations and Fleet manager at Port of Antwerp-Bruges said: "We intend to test these intensively in operation over the next few years, and then use that experience as the basis for tackling the rest of our fleet."

Reference: philstar｜Sumitomo Corporation｜FuelCellsＷorks