Luzon ports to be converted into offshore wind sites

At least three ports in Luzon will be converted into offshore wind terminals before the end of the Marcos administration in 2028 at a projected cost of P47 billion, the Philippine Ports Authority said.

- By ELIJAH FELICE ROSALES

The PPA will bid out this year the first of two phases to make the Port of Mercedes in Camarines Norte an offshore wind site, with the goal of completing it by 2026.

PPA general manager Jay Santiago said each of the two phases would require about P2.4 billion, with the agency paying for it on its own.

"We intend to bid that out before the end of the year, so that we will be able to beat the end-2026 deadline for the first phase. The DOE (Department of Energy) will have enough time to generate the first kilowatt by the first quarter of 2028," Santiago told The STAR.

Moreover, the PPA is firming up the P14-billion port management terminal contract (PTMC) to develop a 27-hectare property in the Port of Batangas into an offshore wind farm. The project is situated beside the Batangas Container Terminal.

However, Santiago is still weighing options on how to repurpose the Port of Currimao in Ilocos Norte, as initial estimates from consultants showed it would require up to P28 billion.