A total of 8,977.1 megawatts (MW) have been committed or are expected to be added to the country’s generating capacity as of end-2020, based on data from the Department of Energy (DOE).
This is 58% higher compared to the 5,691.1MW in additional capacity committed by power firms as of end-2019. The DOE considers power projects as “committed” if the private sector-initiated power projects have already secured financial closing.
The figure only covers capacity from traditional power plants and excludes battery energy storage system (BESS) projects, which have a total committed capacity of 910MW nationwide, 400MW of which are in Luzon.
Most of the committed capacity or 93%, equivalent to 8,343.7MW are in Luzon, with coal having the biggest chunk at 3,836MW. All natural gas power plants, solar, and wind power plant commitments are located in Luzon. Mindanao has a committed capacity of 352.3MW, while Visayas has 278.1MW.
Nearly half of the committed capacity nationwide will be sourced from coal with 4,241MW (47%), followed by natural gas with 3,500MW (39%), solar with 408.6MW (4.5%), and oil with 392MW (4.4%). Hydroelectric, geothermal, wind, and biomass round up the list.
Excellent Energy Resources, Inc’s (EERI) Ilijan liquefied natural gas plant venture in Batangas City is the biggest committed project in the list with 1,750MW. EERI is one of two San Miguel Corporation subsidiaries that won a power supply agreement from the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) in its competitive supply auction last February.
Aboitiz Power Corporation’s GNPower Dinginin power plant in Mariveles, Bataan is the biggest committed coal project with 1,336 MW. The plant began operating its first generating unit in March and is expected to operate at its full 668MW capacity by June. AboitizPower aims to launch the second unit’s commercial operation by next year.
For oil-based projects, AC Energy’s Ingrid Pililla diesel power plant in Rizal tops the list at 300MW. The project, a joint venture between Ayala and Japanese firm Marubeni, sits close by the Malaya Thermal Power Plant along the shores of Laguna De Bay.
Energy Logics Philippines, Inc’s project in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte is the only committed wind project listed with 132MW in offered capacity.
Among the solar projects, MGEn Renewable Energy, Inc’s (MGreen) 80.9MW plant in San Miguel, Bulacan is the largest listed venture. MGreen is the renewables arm of MERALCO PowerGen Corporation.
