DOE eyes 9 ports for wind energy dev’t

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA  -The Department of Energy (DOE) is looking to redevelop nine ports scattered across the country to serve as integration ports that will house materials needed for offshore wind development as the government anticipates higher investor interest in the renewable energy.

Energy Assistant Secretary Mylene Capongcol told reporters on Tuesday that the DOE was currently assessing the identified ports with multilateral lender Asian Development Bank (ADB).

“There are no existing ports for offshore wind development mainly because this [technology] is new to the country. That’s why we have not planned for it yet,” Capongcol said on the sidelines of a wind energy forum hosted by the Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc.

She added that assessment would also determine the readiness of the ports and necessary upgrades, and these would help in crafting omnibus guidelines “to address specific requirements for the port to accommodate offshore wind [materials].”

Capongcol also shared that the initial locations included the Port of Irene in Cagayan Valley, and some ports in the provinces of Iloilo, Batangas and Mindoro.

The 19.2-hectare Mabini Port in Batangas of state-owned Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) was also among those being considered.

PNOC president and chief executive officer Oliver Butalid previously told senators that they planned to spend P1.18 billion next year for the redevelopment of the Mabini port, which he said would encourage developers to invest more in offshore wind energy.

The Philippines currently does not have any port used exclusively to house materials for offshore wind development, making it difficult to build facilities and extend construction timelines.

This is despite the World Bank projecting in 2022 that the Philippines had a potential to develop 21 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy until 2040.

According to Capongcol, the redevelopment of ports will be funded by the port owners, while the assessment is funded through an ADB grant.

“We have an increasing number of [offshore wind] service contracts … There are a lot of foreign companies interested in developing offshore wind and the port owners will cater possibly all offshore wind developers,” the DOE official said.

The DOE has so far awarded 79 offshore wind service contracts with a potential capacity of 61.93 GW. INQ