Project

Efficient permitting key to unlocking offshore wind’s potential in the Philippines

Permits are essential to offshore wind (OSW) development, ensuring compliance with regulations, managing the environmental impact, and maximising public benefit. The Permitting and Consenting to OSW Energy in the Philippines project assessed the current permitting regime and recommended improvements to support the country’s nascent OSW market.

January 28, 2026

SECTORS: Offshore Wind
COUNTRIES: Philippines
DONOR: UNOPS
CONTRACT VALUE: EUR 153,846
DURATION: July 2023 to August 2024

The Philippines has been making great strides in Offshore Wind (OSW) development, which is shaping up to be a cornerstone of the country’s plan to raise the share of renewables to 50% of its power generation mix by 2040.

With the Philippine OSW market still in its infancy, establishing a comprehensive and effective permitting system is a critical step before individual projects can take off and the country’s renewable energy potential can be fully realised. At the foundation of these efforts are key policy directives, such as Executive Order (EO) 21 that aims to foster a conducive environment for OSW in the country. The EO tasked the Department of Energy (DOE) with formulating and issuing the necessary framework to accommodate OSW in the energy permitting regime.

In this regard, the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership (ETP), a program hosted by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), supported the DOE and engaged NIRAS to deliver a project that jump-starts an effective and efficient offshore wind permitting process in the Philippines, aligned with international standards and Good International Industry Practice (GIIP).

Understanding the local context

As a first step, the project team documented existing structures, risks and processes relevant to OSW permitting. A permitting and processes workshop with government stakeholders and other sectors was conducted, along with an analysis of the existing permitting regime. For instance, the Work Bank’s OSW Roadmap estimated 29 permits from varying levels of government relevant to OSW, and the project uncovered more. Gaps were also defined in the current permitting process, with overlaps and missing links identified.

With this, the project created the permitting process flow map, along with individual databases or ‘proformas’ on each of these permits, containing information such as the legal framework, application process, or supporting documents needed. Permits were also categorised into core permits for all OSW developments or those required only for specific circumstances.

Moreover, the project team recommended that 62 current guidance materials be updated or enhanced to incorporate OSW and that existing guidance materials be streamlined in an iterative process led by the DOE and other agencies, such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Meanwhile, the project subsequently opened the process flow map, proformas, and guidance materials for review with permitting agencies. This feedback resulted in identifying 80 permits, 23 permitting agencies, and 2 statutory permitting agencies.

The current policy framework in the Philippines

Released on 19 April 2023, EO 21 directs the establishment of policies and administering frameworks related to OSW development. It stems from Republic Act No. 9513, known as the Renewable Energy Act of 2008; the Philippine Energy Plan 2020–2040; and the World Bank’s Philippine OSW Roadmap. Tasked to lead the process, the DOE released three department circulars (DCs) relevant to OSW:

DC No. 2023-05-0013: EO 21’s implementing guidelines
DC No. 2023-06-0020: The administrative framework for optimal development of OSW
DC No. 2024-06-0018: Revised guidelines in awarding and administration of RE contracts

Defining the OSW project lifecycle

OSW projects are large infrastructure projects that need careful and long-term planning and are operated for 30 years. Each stage of the project lifecycle, from pre-development to decommissioning, has a specific set of works and different permits to be secured. An effective permitting system ensures that each phase transitions smoothly, reducing risks during the project lifecycle and allowing for adaptation to setbacks and changes. As these are capital-intensive infrastructure projects, a robust permitting system de-risks the projects to make them bankable.

The project found that a higher number of permits is required in the first two stages of the lifecycle, specific to the Philippines regulatory definitions:

Pre-Development Phase: Preliminary assessment and feasibility studies, financial closing, approval of the OSW project, and identification of the proposed production area.
Development Phase: Construction, exploration, and commercial operation of the OSW project:
- Permitting and Consenting for Construction and Commercial Operation Phase: Application for construction-related permits,
- Construction Phase: Construction is launched, and plans are made for connection to the grid and production of electricity, and
- Commercial Operation Phase: Begins with grid connection and runs for 25 to 30 years.
Decommissioning Phase: When the wind farm reaches the end of its lifespan, point projects can be either decommissioned or repowered for further operation.

Learning from best practices

Also notable among the project deliverables were case studies done on three countries with varying levels of OSW market maturity: Denmark, Scotland, and Taiwan. The end goal was to glean best practices from these countries, along with GIIP standards, in formulating recommendations for the Philippines’ OSW regulatory framework.

Based on these case studies and previous outputs, recommendations to the Philippines’ OSW permitting regime were presented in a series of workshops and consultations with the DOE and the DENR. Feedback showed that three recommendations should be prioritised:

Policy testing. New policies related to OSW projects must undergo a strategic review to test the policy before implementation. This could be done within a legal framework or non-statutory approaches. Testing these policies should be done in a whole-of-government approach to find the correct balance of energy priorities and social, environmental, and economic factors.
Rationalisation of the permitting system. As evidenced by 80 permits found in the Philippine permitting regime, the country has a heavy permitting burden compared to others and is not in line with GIIP standards. Red tape must be reduced to stimulate OSW development, especially as the permitting process is still evolving even in countries with mature markets. This could be done through further research on identified gaps and the creation of sector-focussed guidance material, along with continuous and iterative capacity-building opportunities for permitting agencies (PAs).
Integration of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) across the permitting system. In countries studied for this project, EIAs are a key requirement for the release of OSW development permits. In the Philippines, however, it has yet to become a prerequisite in existing PAs’ decision-making. Through the workshops, PAs were also able to recognise that the data they require in issuing permits for OSW may overlap with the information needed for the EIA required in the DENR. The project team thus recommended strengthening coordination among PAs and aligning permitting processes around the EIA model for OSW projects.

As the Philippines continues its push toward renewables, the success of its still-fledgling OSW development will depend on a permitting regime that is both agile and efficient. While OSW has only recently gained momentum in the country, it stands to benefit from the wealth of experiences in more mature markets.

By combining global best practices and local insights, this project has laid the groundwork for a streamlined process, which reduces costs and risks, accelerates project timelines, and, ultimately, helps the Philippines achieve its renewable energy ambition.

Essential guidance for OSW development

The Offshore Wind Guidebook seeks to capture the OSW permitting process in the Philippines. Supported by NIRAS, it is the country’s first comprehensive overview of the permitting system in the nascent technology.