Global wind group eyes P30 billion boost for Philippines port modernization

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June 18, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — A global wind energy organization is seeking to mobilize at least $500 million (about P30 billion) to help modernize Philippine port infrastructure and unlock the country’s vast offshore wind potential.

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) is in talks with private institutions to secure financing, highlighting the massive investment needed to upgrade ports and support offshore wind development.

“What we have found is that in the Philippines, there is no port that is ready for offshore wind (deployment),” GWEC Asia Pacific director Ann Margret Francisco said in an interview.

While no amount has been finalized, Francisco said the planned capital raise could reach about $500 million and would fund feasibility and technical studies.

“We have to have a way for catalytic funding to come in. We have to work with the multilaterals, the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, and see if they can help finance the upcoming ports,” she said.

The Philippine Ports Authority has identified the Pambujan port in Camarines Norte and the Santa Clara port in Batangas as priority infrastructure to drive the country’s offshore wind buildout.

The government expects the two ports to be fully operational by next year, capable of handling the installation, commissioning and operational requirements of offshore wind projects.

Francisco, however, maintained that these facilities remain insufficient, given the scale of the country’s wind energy opportunities. “It’s good that we have two, but given our ambition, it is still not enough.”

To date, the Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded 95 offshore wind service contracts with a potential combined capacity of around 72 gigawatts.

To provide revenue certainty for developers, the DOE has launched a landmark auction, offering 3,300 megawatts of fixed-bottom offshore wind capacity.

The Energy Regulatory Commission has set a ceiling price of P11 per kilowatt-hour for the auction, higher than the initially floated P10.3859 per kWh.

The auction, with delivery timelines spanning 2028 to 2030, is aligned with the government’s target of generating the first kWh of offshore wind power before President Marcos ends his term.