DOE, DENR ink pact to streamline permitting process for offshore wind projects

The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Thursday signed an accord that would ease permitting processes for offshore wind (OSW) projects.

During the business matching event, hosted by the DOE, in Taguig City, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla and Environment Secretary Maria Antonio Yulo-Loyzaga signed a memorandum of understanding that would streamline the process in securing environmental compliance certificates for OSW service contracts.

The accord, in particular, covers the authority to grant access to offshore areas covered by OSW energy service contracts for the conduct of predevelopment or exploration activities to ensure it follows environmental laws, rules and regulations, and good international industry practice.

“…Because each of this service contract, the developers would need at least two years of wind data so that's part of the pre-development stage and that's what DENR is trying to facilitate by clearly indicating what would be needed in the pre-development stage,” Lotilla said.

The Energy chief added that the proper facilitation of pre-development of OSW project would be key for the actual “development stage will have a greater impact on the marine environment and they will also be requiring more in the development stage the requirements for that are not in place yet.”

Yulo-Loyzaga said that exploration development due to the station of wind resources, “may have significant unintended impact on the environment given that the installation, operation, and decommissioning, can potentially, cause some disruption and threaten marine, terrestrial, and socio-economic environments.”

“And this is why it is essential that we work together and support each other in this endeavor. With this MOA, we hope, that our continued partnership with the DOE will provide guidance to the developers, and assist them, and ensure that their predevelopment exploration activities, and the eventual operation are within our environmental laws, rules, and regulations, and within the best international practice,” the Environment chief said.

The Philippines has an estimated potential of 178 gigawatts (GW) for offshore wind power.

The DOE so far has awarded a total of 82 offshore wind projects, with a contracted capacity of 63.359 GW located north of Luzon, west of Metro Manila, north and south of Mindoro, Panay and Guimaras Strait.

The OSW service contracts are still in pre-development stages.—AOL, GMA Integrated News