The Philippines has lined up tens of gigawatts of offshore wind projects on in service contracts, is preparing to auction 3,300 megawatts more, and already has 178 megawatts in early development – strong signs of growing interest. How much of this will actually get built, however, is uncertain amid social implications, high costs, geopolitical tensions, and the unclear role of Chinese players.
The Pan‑Asia Power Grid Initiative (PAGI) is designed to stitch together existing blocs, like the Asean Power Grid and South Asian grid projects. But civil society groups warn that the bank’s grand regional vision sits uneasily with its continued backing for fossil fuels.
Mismatched financing tenures, risk premiums and the demand profiles of data centre operators are among the many concerns of the country’s solar power providers.
The Philippines saw a 170 per cent surge in weekly installations while Thailand’s demand for solar training increased three times following the energy crisis that started in late February. But workforce systems and stronger local networks are needed to allow the industry to scale sustainably, says clean energy proponents.
EB Studio
As environmentally-friendly solutions become more commonplace, sustainable finance has become less about hitting targets and more about using …