The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is seeking P4.6 billion in government funding to develop two ports in preparation for offshore wind projects, with the goal of delivering the first kilowatt hour of offshore wind power by 2028.
The PPA committed to developing the two ports by 2027 to 2028, said Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Giovanni Carlo Bacordo during a Senate hearing on Thursday. The ports are located in Mercedes, Camarines Norte, and Currimao, Ilocos Norte.
One of the planned facilities, a “greenfield port,” will be a 15-hectare port in Pambuhan, Bacordo noted. “There are about eight offshore wind energy service contracts within 15 nautical miles of the future port of Pambuhan,” he said.
DOE Secretary Sharon Garin said these locations have “big potential” because they are nearer to current service contracts. She also mentioned the possible development of a port in Batangas under the PPA.
The DOE is set to hold an auction this year for 3,300 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind capacity, an investment of about $5 million per MW.
Garin noted that the required investment in the ports is “very minute” compared to the billions of dollars developers are bringing in. The auction requires developers to have an agreement with a certain port to participate.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian expressed support for wind power development, stating his desire for the Philippines to be the first in Southeast Asia to have offshore wind investments, but added “we need to have certain level of comfort before we pump in P4 billion for a port project.”
The DOE is taking steps to ensure the timely delivery of the 3,300 MW of offshore wind projects slated for the fifth Green Energy Auction round. DOE Undersecretary Rowena Guevara cited the requirement for wind resource assessments in the auction to ensure awarded projects are “technically and financially sound from the start.”
Guevara said the DOE has streamlined permitting for offshore wind projects through the Energy Virtual One-Stop Shop (EVOSS), Executive Order 21, and the DOE’s Permitting and Consenting Guidebook to simplify processes and provide a “predictable pathway from award to operation.”
