US-based Koloma Inc. is seeking to expand its search for native hydrogen in the Philippines beyond Zambales and Pangasinan, this time proposing an offshore area in Palawan.
The Department of Energy has issued an invitation for challenge covering a 712,000-hectare area in the East Palawan Basin, nominated by Koloma. Other companies may submit competing applications for the same area. A pre-submission conference was held on September 4, and challengers have until October 14 to file their applications, when bids will also be opened. Anyone submitting a competing bid must pay an application fee of ₱1 million on or before that deadline.
Should Koloma secure the Palawan area, it would mark the company’s fourth native hydrogen service contract in the Philippines. The Department of Energy awarded Koloma Service Contract 92 in July, extending its exclusive exploration rights to western Zambales. That followed two earlier contracts, SCs 83 and 84, covering areas in Central Luzon that the company secured last year.
Koloma has already begun exploration work in Pangasinan, where it conducted a 2D seismic survey to map underground rock formations and identify areas that may hold hydrogen deposits. The survey followed initial geological sampling that indicated further study was warranted. The Department of Energy expects drilling to begin later this year or in early 2027.
Native hydrogen occurs naturally beneath the earth’s surface, unlike conventional hydrogen, which is manufactured through industrial processes. If exploration confirms commercially viable reserves, it could become an additional indigenous energy source for the Philippines.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the awarding of hydrogen exploration contracts reflects the government’s effort to diversify the country’s power mix. Coal currently accounts for roughly 60 percent of that mix, while renewable energy sources make up about 25 percent.
