Waste-to-Energy Auction in Philippines Attracts 11 Major Bidders

MANILA, Philippines — Companies backed by tycoons Manuel V. Pangilinan, Enrique Razon Jr. and Ramon Ang are among the 11 bidders qualified to advance to the government’s waste-to-energy (WTE) auction. Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara told reporters yesterday that “We have 14 projects with 11 qualified bidders.” MetPower Venture Partners Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Investments Corp., and Razon’s Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc. each have one potential bid. Also in the running are two projects from Pan Pacific Renewable Power Phils. Corp., an associate of Ang’s San Miguel Global Power. International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialist Inc. and San Mateo Sanitary Landfill and Development Corp. likewise have two potential bids each. The other qualified bidders include Green Atom Renewable Energy Corp., LECRA Eco Sustain Philippines Inc., Manila Integrated Environment Corp., Forza Development Corp., North Maharlika Energy Corp. and the Davao City government. Each is pursuing one potential bid. The qualified bidders were named following the evaluation and deliberation by the green energy auction (GEA) bids evaluation and awards committee of the submitted registration documents. Under the special GEA round for WTE projects, the government is now offering 400 megawatts of capacity, a significant increase from the initial target of 230 MW. Guevara said the pre-bid conference is scheduled for Sept. 15, with the auction proper set to commence on Oct. 13. The certificates of award for the winning bidders are targeted for issuance from Dec. 16 to 18, while project delivery is expected between September 2028 and March 2029. The Department of Energy earlier postponed the auction to increase the capacity and adjust key timelines, giving developers a longer runway to build financially viable and technically sound WTE facilities. A WTE technology converts biodegradable materials such as animal manure or agricultural waste into usable energy. The WTE adoption is mandated under Republic Act 9513 or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008. The GEA program is conducted to encourage more clean energy investments as the government aims to increase the share of renewables to 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040 from the current 25 percent.