The Philippines Department of Energy (DOE) says it is accelerating the grid entry for twelve solar projects with a cumulative capacity of approximately 1,284 MW.

The projects are targeted for operation in April, according to an update on the department's website, with all in advanced stages of construction or undergoing final testing and commissioning.

DOE says it is pushing the projects towards an April grid entry in response to impact on the global oil markets caused by developments in the Middle East.

It is also accelerating the entry of six hydroelectric plants, two biomass facilities, one wind project and one integrated renewable energy storage system (IRESS). Together, the 22 power projects have a combined capacity of 1,471 MW.

The department says it is working with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, the country’s Energy Regulatory Commission and the Independent Electricity Market Operator to address outstanding transmission, interconnection, inspection, registration and metering requirements, and to prevent avoidable delays in commercial operations.

“At a time when the country must act with urgency and discipline to protect the integrity of the power system, the timely delivery of committed capacity is imperative,” commented Energy Secretary of the Philippines, Sharon S. Garin.

According to figures available on the department’s website, there are currently 24 power generation plants under DOE monitoring that are already in commercial operation, with an aggregate capacity in excess of 1.1 GW. The figure includes three solar power plants which entered operations earlier in March.

In February, DOE revealed plans to auction an additional 25 GW of renewable energy capacity under its flagship green energy auction (GEA) program by 2035, including plans for four GEAs over the next two years.

The most recently-completed round was GEA-4, which approved 10.2 GW of renewables across solar, wind and storage projects in November, including 4.1 GW of ground-mounted and 2.2 GW of floating solar. 

The Philippines has set a target of achieving a 35% share of renewables in its power generation mix by 2030, increasing to 50% by 2040 and more than half by 2050.

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