Together with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Department of Energy (DOE) is assessing nine ports’ capacity to aid the development of offshore wind (OSW).
In a report by Manila Standard, DOE Assistant Secretary Mylene Capongol stated that the assessment would involve meetings to determine the ports’ capabilities, with a focus on either constructing new ports or repurposing existing ones.
Ports in Currimao, Ilocos Norte; Mabini, Batangas; Mindoro; and Port Irene in Cagayan Valley were identified.
Additionally, the offshore wind ports would be a staging area to make room for turbines and blades.
Existing ports would be upgraded to assist the technical requirements of OSW developers, she added.
Capongcol said that the DOE has yet to make a plan for this, adding that environmental, and service contracting, as well as omnibus guidelines that would address the specific requirements and support for offshore wind, need to be amended.
Port owners are being encouraged by the energy department to develop their infrastructure to accommodate OSW projects.
So far, the DOE has greenlit 79 OSW contracts with the potential to offer a capacity of 61, 931 MW in the country.
The study, expected to be slated next year, will guide the upgrading of existing ports to meet the technical requirements of OSW projects.
