Danish firm gets first pre-dev’t ECC, national significance certificate for offshore wind project

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has awarded Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) with the first pre-development environmental compliance certificate (ECC) for any offshore wind project in the Philippines, according to a CIP media release.

CIP became the first developer to submit a comprehensive pre-development ECC, and eventually also the first to obtain the certificate. The ECC will enable CIP to initiate offshore geotechnical works and geophysical surveys for its 1GW San Miguel Bay Offshore Wind Project in Camarines Sur. These activities are crucial in determining the design and layout of the proposed offshore wind farm.

An ECC is a requirement for all renewable energy projects, including offshore wind, to ensure adherence to the Philippines’ environmental rules and regulations as well as alignment to global industry standards. The award follows the successful deployment of state-of-the-art scanning and vertical Light Detection and Ranging devices (LIDARs) in its project sites in Camarines Sur last May.

“We are very pleased to announce the issuance of the ECC for our pre-development activities. With this in place, we have initiated offshore site surveying, a critical step in advancing the project’s development,” said Rune Damgaard, Offshore Wind Co-CEO of Copenhagen Offshore Partners (COP), CIP’s investment vehicle in the Philippines.

CIP lauds the continuous partnership between the DENR and the Department of Energy (DOE) in ramping up the exploration and development of offshore wind projects. In February, DOE Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla and DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to simplify the issuance of ECCs for offshore wind energy projects.

More recently, another memorandum has been signed between the two agencies to provide energy developers access to offshore areas that are available for wind power exploration. CIP welcomes this move as a catalyst in derisking foreign investment on offshore wind projects.

“This pre-development environmental clearance issued by the DENR moves CIP’s offshore wind development efforts forward while ensuring strict compliance with environmental regulations,” said Secretary Lotilla. “DOE’s service contractor, CIP, can now proceed with exploration and pre-development activities that are essential in jump-starting the growth of offshore wind in the country and contribute to achieving the Philippines’ long-term energy security objectives,” he said.

Danish Ambassador Franz-Michael Mellbin said that he is “happy and proud” that CIP has been awarded the first offshore wind pre-development ECC in the Philippines. “Wind power is one of the ways the government can bring abundant, affordable, and reliable way to every Filipino and ensure continued growth and prosperity for the nation,” said Ambassador Mellbin. “Working closely together, CIP, the government and international partners will continue to help streamline the necessary approvals and certificates that will allow this and other critical wind power projects to go on-line, in-time,” he added.

Aside from the ECC, CIP’s San Miguel Bay project has also been recognized with a Certificate of Energy Project of National Significance (CEPNS). DOE Executive Order No. 30 qualify EPNS as major energy projects that align with the policy thrusts and specific goals of the Philippine Energy Plan. Furthermore, EPNS are expected to contribute significantly to economic development and environmental protection and to entail complex technical processes and infrastructure requirements.

“Additionally, we have been granted the CEPNS from the DOE, further solidifying our strong collaboration and shared commitment to realizing offshore wind energy in the Philippines,” said COP’s Damgaard.

According to CIP, the recognition of the San Miguel Bay project as an EPNS is crucial in helping the project expedite the development and construction of the grid infrastructure with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) needed to evacuate energy from the offshore windfarm.

CIP is working to sustain the momentum of its achievements with continued collaboration with the national government agencies and local stakeholders by sharing its expertise in port architecture, logistics, financing and having bankable Power Purchase Agreements. A critical component of offshore wind development will be the construction and operation of marshalling port and making sure a viable Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP) for offshore wind pushes through in mid-2025.