The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is conducting assessments on the environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) previously granted to offshore wind (OSW) project developers.
This was done to ascertain whether these developers are adhering to the guidelines established for the development of these renewable energy (RE) installations, said Manila Bulletin in its report.
As outlined in DENR Administrative Order (DAO) 2024-02, the ECCs issued before the issuance of the order would be reviewed to guarantee that global standards and practices are at par.
It was deliberated beforehand that the certificates would be ‘programmatic,’ meaning they would be uniform for all offshore wind projects and that it would be secured by the Department of Energy (DOE) for all project sponsors.
However, it has not been set down in the guidelines, and the industry players are still mulling over the DAO, finalizing how the application process for the certificates should be carried out.
According to the Wind Energy Developers Association of the Philippines (WEDAP), the procedure leading up to the certificate is overseen by DOE and is not systematic, but rather cumulative.
It should be observed that the DENR and DOE had their roles well defined under the DAO, however, it is unclear which guidelines will be followed for applying for and granting ECCs.
With DOE tasked to ensure that all developers under the OSW Energy Service Contracts (OSWESCs) had their environmental plans aligned with the guidelines of the DENR as well as oversee the submission of environmental compliance reports of the project developers.
