Philippines Sets New Timeline for Recalibrated Offshore Wind Auction, Targets December 2026 Bidding

The Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) has published an indicative timeline for the recalibration of the fifth round of its Green Energy Auction Program (GEA-5), the country’s first for offshore wind, with the auction now tentatively scheduled for 1 December 2026.

The DOE issued the official Notice of Auction and Terms of Reference, formally launching GEA-5, on 25 November 2025. In March this year, the department opened a registration period for potential bidders to qualify for the auction, and said the qualification process would last until early July, with the bidding process to start at the end of July 2026 and take until the end of September, when provisional winning bidders would be announced.

However, on 4 July, the DOE suspended GEA-5 so a review of the auction framework could be conducted together with government agencies and industry stakeholders to better align the auction with infrastructure readiness, permitting requirements, environmental and port-related costs, grid connection considerations and potential global supply chain disruptions.

According to the revised schedule, published on 29 July, the DOE and agencies, including the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC), Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP), National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), will review and validate port, environmental and grid-readiness requirements through 2 September 2026.

A Department Circular setting out the policy framework for the recalibration is targeted for signing by 24 August and publication in early September, while a Supplemental Terms of Reference (TOR) will be released following public consultation, with final approval targeted for 2 October 2026.

Once the Supplemental TOR is issued, the DOE plans to resume GEA-5, publish an updated auction schedule, and provide revised instructions to qualified bidders.

Auction activities, including the publication of qualified bidders, are expected to take place during the fourth quarter of 2026. The auction is now indicatively targeted for 1 December 2026, with bid validation, the issuance of Notices of Award, post-auction evaluation and the awarding of Certificates of Award scheduled to take place between 2 December 2026 and 30 June 2027.

The DOE noted that all dates remain indicative and may change depending on the outcome of inter-agency coordination, legal review and approval processes. Until the Department Circular and Supplemental TOR are released, the suspension of GEA-5 announced on 4 July remains in effect.

Several projects are advancing through GEA-5, including the 901 MW San Miguel Bay offshore wind project, jointly owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and ACEN Corporation, and three projects owned and developed by a consortium comprising Seawind Asia, Stream Invest Holdings, and Triconti ECC Renewables: the 450 MW Frontera Bay, the 600 MW Guimaras Strait, and the 600 MW Guimaras Strait II.

At the end of June, CIP met with the Philippines’ Department of Finance (DOF) to discuss key project milestones, financing arrangements, and preparations for the auction.

At the beginning of this year, the consortium of Seawind Asia, Stream Invest Holdings, and Triconti ECC Renewables said its three offshore wind farms secured grid connection agreements, which set out the technical conditions and transmission requirements for connecting the projects to the Philippine grid. 

According to the Notice of Auction and TOR for GEA-5 that the DOE issued in November 2025, the 3.3 GW of fixed-bottom offshore wind projects that the Philippines is procuring through the auction are expected to enter into operation between 2028 and 2030.

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