THE Department of Energy (DOE) announced that a Chinese firm will undertake the development of one of the three proposed ports intended to cater to fixed-bottom offshore wind facilities, while the feasibility study for another port has already been completed.
To support the implementation of the Green Energy Auction 5 (GEA-5), the DOE, in coordination with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) had previously identified PPA-administered ports intended for offshore wind development projects. These include: the Pambujan Port, in Camarines Norte; the Santa Clara Port in Batangas; and, the Port of Curimao in Ilocos Norte.
DOE Undersecretary Giovanni Carlo J. Bacordo said the Port of Pambujan , Camarines Norte has already been auctioned off.
‘That one in Pambujan has already been bid out. There’s already a winner, a company with a Chinese name,’ Bacordo said. ‘For the Batangas project, the feasibility study is already complete. It’s now in the bidding phase, which is also set for this year.’
These ports must be upgraded so that heavy machinery, such as wind turbines, can be accommodated. Aside from port infrastructure, the DOE is also working on permitting and tenurial instruments, market support, and grid asset availability.
The DOE emphasized the need for robust, transparent, and timely processes for leasing and permitting and a competitive market system solely for offshore wind. The agency also cited the need for suitably-sized and strategically-located ports essential for the storage, assembly, construction and operation of offshore wind farms. There are also required upgrades to the transmission network and interconnection facilities whenever and wherever they are needed, according to the DOE.
Earlier, the DOE said there were nine bids that initially passed the first stage of the GEA-5. These are currently being evaluated. The power generation capacity of the nine bids totals 9,256 megawatts (MW).
The DOE has so far awarded 95 offshore wind energy service contracts. However, these 95 potential projects are not all qualified to join the GEA-5 because of different delivery schedules. Among the qualifications for offshore wind bids under GEA-5 are those that have already completed feasibility studies and system impact studies.
The GEA-5 targets a capacity of 3,300MW for 2028-2030.
The 95 offshore wind energy service contracts represent 72,332 MW of potential capacity. Of which, 12 are located in Negros/Panay, 12 in Southern Mindoro, nine in Guimaras Strait, nine in Manila, nine in Northwest Luzon, seven in Northern Mindoro, and the remaining 37 projects are to be located across the country.
Under GEA-5, the certificate of award to the winning bidders is scheduled between February 2 to July 14 of next year. These projects are targeted to come online by 2028 to 2030.