3 Luzon Ports to Turn Into Offshore Wind Hubs by 2028
- September 8, 2025
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) announced plans to redevelop three ports in Luzon into offshore wind terminals by 2028, aligning with the Marcos administration’s clean energy goals.
The initiative, estimated at ₱47 billion, is expected to support the country’s initial offshore wind projects.
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Ports in focus
The PPA is moving ahead with plans to convert the Port of Mercedes in Camarines Norte into an offshore wind site, with work to be carried out in two phases costing about ₱2.4 billion each. PPA Chief Jay Santiago said the first phase will be bid out before year-end, with completion targeted by 2026.
“We intend to bid that out before the end of the year, so that we will be able to beat the end-2026 deadline for the first phase,” Santiago noted. This is to allow the Department of Energy (DOE) to deliver its first output by the first quarter of 2028.
A ₱14-billion deal is also being sealed to redevelop a 27-hectare site next to the Batangas Container Terminal as an offshore wind facility.
However, plans to redevelop the Port of Currimao in Ilocos Norte face uncertainty, with consultants pegging the project cost at around ₱28 billion. Santiago admitted the price tag poses a challenge.
“We are still thinking if it would be done by procurement or PTMC (port terminal management contract),” he explained. “If procurement, the PPA cannot fund that, and if PTMC, I don’t know if there are takers.”
The PPA has dropped earlier plans to convert 10 ports into offshore wind hubs, citing prohibitive costs and technical hurdles. Unlike standard facilities, wind terminals require specialized equipment to handle massive turbines that cannot be dismantled. DOE estimates showed the scrapped projects could have supported up to 6.72 gigawatts of capacity.
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Previous issues
In June, officials flagged several hurdles in proposed offshore wind sites, including limited funding for two projects and the cancellation of another over weak soil conditions. DOE Undersecretary Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said the Jose Panganiban site in Camarines Norte was dropped after tests showed the ground could not support heavy wind infrastructure. Attention has since shifted to Pambuhan in the nearby town of Mercedes, which provided more stable terrain.
Meanwhile, the proposed redevelopment of the Port of Currimao in Ilocos Norte was temporarily put on hold due to “funding constraints”, after the initial proposal was found to be beyond budget.
Previously, the Batangas offshore wind port project had to be revised after its original design overshot funding limits. Bacordo added that a feasibility study was underway to advance the project through a public-private partnership.
Two DOTr (Department of Transportation) ports should be commercially ready by 2030, with timelines aligned to give offshore wind developers a coordinated two-year window for construction activities.
In June, the Department of Energy rolled out its fifth green energy auction, offering 3,300 megawatts of offshore wind capacity for delivery between 2028 and 2030, in step with the PPA’s port development plans.
Sources:
https://www.philstar.com/business/2025/09/01/2469463/luzon-ports-be-converted-offshore-wind-sites
https://powerphilippines.com/ppa-targets-3-luzon-ports-for-offshore-wind/
