Philippines eyes 3,300 MW of wind capacity under new green power auction

INQUIRER.net stock images

MANILA, Philippines — The government’s goal of logging the first kilowatt from offshore wind capacity may come to reality with the rollout of the fifth round of the green energy auction (GEA).

The Department of Energy said the fresh round of GEA would offer 3,300 megawatts of capacity, with the delivery set from 2028 to 2030.

According to the agency, the GEA-5 would focus on the fixed-bottom offshore wind because of its “established global track record, cost-efficiency and scalability.”

READ: Global Wind Energy Council flags hiccups in PH’s offshore wind goals

The agency said this approach would help the Philippines “expedite the near-term deployment of offshore wind.”

“By prioritizing fixed-bottom offshore wind for GEA-5, we are investing in a technology that is ready to deliver,” Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said in a statement on Wednesday.

READ: San Miguel, Pan Pacific lead 3rd green power auction

2028 delivery

“This allows us to set a strong and credible foundation for the country’s offshore wind sector, one that can deliver first power by 2028,” Lotilla added.

Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara said the government remains open to welcoming floating offshore wind developments.

“As global experience grows and the technology matures, the DOE will reassess its inclusion in future auction rounds. For now, our focus is to build momentum with fixed-bottom projects that can succeed under current technical, regulatory, and infrastructure conditions,” Guevara said.

The government has an ambitious target of scaling up renewable energy’s share in the power generation mix from 22 percent to at least 35 percent by 2030.

READ: DOE set to release terms of reference for 4th green energy auction