The Department of Energy is pushing back the green energy auction (GEA) for waste-to-energy (WTE) and biomass technologies to next year as it gears up to launch a special bid round in January.
The DOE has shifted its plans for a WTE auction originally targeted for this year, opting instead to prioritize a special GEA round for projects that will source waste feedstock from Metro Manila and other highly urbanized cities (HUC).
The special auction round is scheduled for January 2026, with completion slated for the fourth quarter of 2027.
The DOE intends to issue the notice of auction and terms of reference as early as this month to give interested parties sufficient time to comply with the GEA registration requirements.
A WTE technology refers to a system that converts biodegradable materials such as animal manure or agricultural waste into usable energy through anaerobic digestion, fermentation and gasification, among others.
According to the National Solid Waste Management Commission, Metro Manila and HUCs generated around 6.12 million metric tons of municipal solid waste in 2024. This is equivalent to 335 megawatts of baseload power supply.
As an emerging clean energy technology, WTE is expected to boost power supply while also helping the government address the country’s perennial flooding problem.
Aside from the special auction, the DOE also plans to conduct another GEA round in the second quarter of 2026, covering biomass and WTE projects across the country.
‘The integration of WTE projects into the GEA framework underscores the DOE’s commitment to ensuring energy security, environmental protection and private sector participation in the country’s transition to clean and sustainable energy,’ it said.
Under the Philippine Energy Plan, the country aims to scale up the share of renewables in the power mix to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040 from the current 22 percent.
Earlier, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the DOE was pushing for the passage of the bill seeking to further institutionalize the use of WTE technologies.
Through this measure, the DOE wants to attract more investments in WTE projects.