An executive order issued by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will fast-track offshore wind permits, and help maximize offshore wind (OSW) projects in the country, the Department of Energy (DOE) said.
Executive Order No. 21 mandates DOE to develop and issue a policy, as well as to create an administrative framework through the Energy One-Stop Shop (EVOSS) system that covers all necessary government agencies and bureaus for project approval. The EVOSS system aims to simplify and systematize the permitting processes and leasing fees.
“With heightened investor interest in energy projects, especially in renewable energy,
it is crucial to have a clear framework that would speed up the development of OSW
and speed up approvals of necessary permits. We will work together with the concerned government agencies, local government units, and the transmission concessionaire to implement the President’s directive,” said Raphael P.M. Lotilla, the Energy Secretary.
The OffshoreWind Roadmap was launched last year, revealing the Philippines’ potential for OSW, with an estimated capacity of 178 gigawatts (GW). Latest data shows that DOE has already awarded 63 OSW contracts with a total capacity of 49.928 GW.
Copenhagen Infrastructure New Markets Fund (CINMF), the first fully foreign-owned company to invest in offshore wind developments, signed three OSW contracts with a combined capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW), located in Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur, offshore Northern Samar, and offshore Pangasinan and La Union.
Energy firms from Spain and Japan have also expressed interest in investing in the country’s renewable energy sector. The said companies are still under evaluation and the DOE.
The EO is expected to contribute to the country’s renewable energy contribution by 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040.
