Data from the Department of Energy (DOE) revealed that the country’s on-grid power capacity grew by five percent at the end of 2022, with coal still the dominant power source in the mix.
As of 2022, the country’s on-grid capacity stood at 28, 258 megawatts (MW) verus the 26, 882 MW recorded in 2021.
Coal remains to be the leading power source in the mix with an installed capacity of 12,428 MW, up 6.5% from 11,669 MW, covering 43.9% of the energy mix for the period.
Oil-based power plants, meanwhile, recorded an installed capacity of 3,834 MW, a 0.34% decline from 3,847 MW in the previous year, covering 13.6% of the mix.
In a report by the Malaya Business Insight, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said that the Philippines remains on track in reaching the 35% and 50% target capacity for renewable energy (RE) share by 2030 and 2040.
Hydroelectic power plants shared 3,745 MW in the grid, a 0.19% drop from the previous year, accounting for 13.3% in the energy mix.
Natural gas plants contributed 3,732 MW, up 8% from 3,453 MW, with an overall share of 13% to the mix.
Solar power plants contributed 1,530 MW, up 16% from the 1,317 MW recorded in the previous year, with an overall share of 5.4% in the power mix.
Biomass plants also shared 611 MW, a 24.9% jump from 489 MW – increasing its share to the power mix to 2.16%.
Geothermal plants, meanwhile, shared 1,952 MW or 6.9% to the energy mix.
Wind power plants remain stagnant in the power mix at 427 MW or 1.5%.
Lotilla said that the DOE is aspiring for more clean energy sources, as it looks to complement RE to the conventional sources of power.
The Energy Secretary noted that the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM) will play an important role in making the country’s energy sector competitive, considering that majority of the control is in the private sector.
