EnergyOMNI's Perspectives｜World Bank Group Energy Program Supports the Philippines' Offshore Wind Development

Edited by EnergyOMNI

The World Bank Group's Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP), in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), launched the Offshore Wind Development Program in 2019 to support developing countries in advancing sustainable energy development and accelerating the energy transition. In 2019, ESMAP provided offshore wind resource assessments and technical assistance for eight emerging markets: Brazil, India, Morocco, the Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Türkiye, and Vietnam.

In Southeast Asia, ESMAP has been actively supporting the Philippines by developing an Offshore Wind Roadmap for the Philippines, organizing capacity-building workshops, embedding technical experts within relevant government agencies, and sponsoring study tours for officials to visit mature offshore wind markets. These efforts aim to help accelerate the country's offshore wind development.

In its 2019 technical assessment, Going Global: Expanding Offshore Wind to Emerging Markets, ESMAP highlighted that the Philippines, with more than 7,000 islands, possesses abundant offshore wind resources along its coastlines, with total offshore wind potential estimated at 178 GW. In the northern and central regions, some relatively shallow waters are suitable for fixed-bottom offshore wind, with an estimated potential of around 18 GW. Approximately 90% of the country's wind resources, however, are located in waters deeper than 50 meters, making them suitable for floating offshore wind development, with an estimated potential of 160 GW.

In 2022, ESMAP released the Offshore Wind Roadmap for the Philippines, recommending that the country establish a regulatory and institutional framework for offshore wind development between 2022 and 2023, including marine spatial planning, permitting systems, and auction mechanisms. Between 2022 and 2028, the roadmap proposed conducting auctions and developing the country's first offshore wind projects. From 2025 to 2035, the focus would shift toward building the long-term infrastructure required for large-scale deployment, such as transmission networks, ports, and supply chains.

In 2024, ESMAP published the Integrated Environmental & Social Sensitivity Mapping, providing emerging markets with reference guidelines for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) and offshore wind site planning.

Starting in 2025, ESMAP organized a series of capacity-building workshops in the Philippines covering topics such as auction design, port and grid development, and supply chains. World Bank offshore wind experts were based in the offices of Department of Energy every month, providing real-time technical advice and international experience to support the launch of the country's first offshore wind auction, the Green Energy Auction 5 (GEA-5).

In addition, from 2022 to 2025, ESMAP sponsored visits for officials from the Philippine Department of Energy to offshore wind markets in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, including Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Australia. Beyond these countries, the Danish Trade Council in the Philippines also led a delegation to Taiwan in 2024 to visit offshore wind farms and related infrastructure.

The Philippine government has now officially launched the Green Energy Auction 5 (GEA-5), which will tender 3.3 GW of offshore wind capacity — the country's first dedicated offshore wind auction. The formal bidding phase is scheduled to take place from July to September, with winning bidders expected to be announced in mid-to-late September. The projects are targeted to achieve grid connection between 2028 and 2030.