THE first ports dedicated to servicing offshore wind farms are expected to be operational by 2027, according to the Department of Energy (DoE).
Energy Undersecretary Giovanni Carlo J. Bacordo told BusinessWorld that the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is set to auction the development contract this month for repurposing Pambujan Port in Camarines Norte.
“I understand that the opening of the bids will be this December. There’s no specific date yet,” Mr. Bacordo said.
He said redeveloping Pambujan port will cost around P4.8 billion and involve expanding the site from an initial 40 hectares to about 160 hectares.
Pambujan is one of the two ports identified by the PPA as suited for offshore wind services, along with Sta. Clara Port in Batangas.
“They’re looking at a public-private partnership scheme of development for the Sta. Clara Port,” Mr. Bacordo said.
The Philippines is hoping to generate the first kilowatts of offshore wind power by 2028 as it bids to diversify its energy mix and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
According to the World Bank’s 2022 Offshore Wind Roadmap for the Philippines, Philippine offshore wind resources have the potential to generate over 178 gigawatts (GW).
To tap this potential, the government has awarded 92 offshore wind energy service contracts to date, with 68 GW of potential capacity.
Mr. Bacordo said Pambujan Port can cater to about 11 contracts while Sta. Clara Port can service up to 22 contracts.
“I’m really confident that these two ports… will be ready by the first quarter of 2027,” he said.
The DoE is set to conduct bidding for the fifth green energy auction round (GEA-5) next year.
GEA-5 focuses on fixed-bottom offshore wind technology, with an installation target of 3.3 GW and delivery set for 2028-2030. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera