Philippines energy agency launches fifth "green energy" auction focusing on offshore wind

The Philippines' Department of Energy (DOE) has launched its fifth "green energy" auction (GEA-5), amid the country's push for offshore wind energy.

GEA-5 is the first auction to focus exclusively on fixed-bottom offshore wind technology, offering an installation target of 3,300 megawatts. Delivery is expected to commence from 2028 to 2030.

According to the agency, he auction is conducted under the "green energy" auction program (GEAP) guidelines. It forms part of the DOE’s broader strategy to achieve renewable energy targets outlined in the Philippine Energy Plan 2025-2050 and the National Renewable Energy Program.

The DOE chose fixed-bottom offshore wind for GEA-5 due to its, "established track record, cost-efficiency and scalability." The agency said this approach aims to expedite the near-term deployment of offshore wind and help provide large-scale and reliable renewable energy.

The DOE said floating offshore wind technology is still in the early stages of development. Currently, only 240 megawatts of floating offshore wind capacity has been deployed globally, with Hywind Tampen’s 88 megawatts being the largest project.

Although several tenders were awarded for floating offshore wind in the United Kingdom in 2024, no large-scale commercial floating wind farms are operational to date due to its questionable economic viability.

“We are still keeping the door open for floating offshore wind technology,” said Undersecretary Rowena Cristina L. Guevara. “As global experience grows and the technology matures, the DOE will reassess its inclusion in future auction rounds. For now, our focus is to build momentum with fixed-bottom projects that can succeed under current technical, regulatory, and infrastructure conditions.”