DOE hikes long-term renewable energy target
By Alena Mae S. Flores – August 30, 2023, 7:20 pm
from manilastandard.net
The Department of Energy is now looking at a higher renewable energy share in the power mix by 2050 of up to 70 percent on growing interest in offshore wind, an official said Wednesday.
DOE director for energy policy and planning bureau Michael Sinocruz said during the public consultations of the proposed Philippine Energy Plan 2023 to 2050 the new computation was based on the anticipated entry of 50,000 megawatts or 50 gigawatts of OSW.
Sinocruz said the 50 GW OSW penetration rate emerged under the clean energy scenario 2, compared to 19 GW under the clean energy scenario 1.
“This will push the RE share to as much as 70 percent by 2050. With more offshore wind, there will be reduction in solar capacities and generation output. Generation output from wind will also displace coal, natural gas and even hydro given the 50-GW offshore wind alone will account by almost half of total generation by 2050 for clean energy,” Sinocruz said.
He said RE would capture at least 50 percent RE share for both CES 1 and CES 2 by 2040 from around 22 percent at present.
Sinocruz said DOE already issued 77 OSW contracts with a potential capacity of 60,000 MW compared to only 19,000 MW of OSW under the CES 1.
He said that while not all OSW projects may materialize, this would still increase the country’s RE targets.
“For instance, we are going to set a target of having 50 GW of offshore wind cap, what will be the impact? The impact will increase the RE share by as much as or more than 70 percent by 2050,” he said.
The DOE has been trying to entice more OSW developers to participate in the country’s RE industry by issuing investor-friendly policies.
The agency issued a circular in June to eliminate unnecessary delays in every stage of the offshore wind project development, specifically streamlining the permitting process of different agencies.
It promulgated Department Circular No. DC2023-06-0020 dated June 16 which provides the policy and administrative framework for the efficient and optimal development of offshore wind resources to all permitting agencies.
The circular aims to remove any duplications and overlapping permitting within and among the attached agencies, remove duplications and redundant documentary requirements, reduce signatories and review and rationalize fees for OSW.
