DivinaLaw Senior Partner Atty. Jay Layug was recently featured as speaker in the webinar “Opportunities within offshore wind in the Philippines” organized by the Norwegian Energy Partners, in collaboration with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila.
Atty. Layug, one of the authors of the Offshore Wind Roadmap for the Philippines (OSW Report) published by the World Bank Group in 2022, spoke on the impact of the roadmap.
“As a result of that offshore wind roadmap, the Philippines now has a total of 72 offshore wind service contracts awarded to different players, both Philippine-owned and foreign-owned. These 72 service contracts total 40 GW and there are still pending applications.”
“The DOE (Department of Energy) also announced the increase in the target of RE (renewable energy) share to 50 percent by 2040. Under the revised national energy program, the DOE has improved the system of approving applications and other permits via its online platform, the EVOSS. Under this new administration, the DOE issued a circular on preferential dispatch of all RE sources which mandates that if you are an RE power plant then you are now considered to be under a preferential dispatch status. Mona (the previous speaker) alluded to the easing up of the 60-40 Filipino ownership requirement as a result of a DOJ (Department of Justice) opinion as validated by the DOE circular. One hundred percent foreign-owned companies can now secure offshore wind service contracts and other renewable energy service contracts in the Philippines.”
Aside from Atty. Layug, the panel of speakers included Ms. Mona Pettersen of BVG Associates, Ms. Diana Connett of the Asian Development Bank, Mr. Carl Martin Faannessen of Scatec, Mr. Marcus Andre Ong of Mainstream Renewable Power, and Mr. Hans Hansen of Fred. Olsen Wind.
