THE PHILIPPINES Board of Directors Investments (BoI) said Thursday it has approved P3.74 trillion worth of renewable energy (RE) projects for green-lane treatment as of September 25, in line with a state target to increase renewable energy capacity, reduce carbon emissions and local jobs.
In a statement, the investment promotion agency said 114 RE projects had been approved by the One-Stop Action Center for Strategic Investments since February 2023.
Of the total, P1.64 trillion worth of investments for 36 projects had been registered with the BoI, while registrations for the remaining projects worth P2.1 trillion were still pending.
In September alone, the BoI approved 11 RE projects for fast-track processing, including €289 billion.Foffshore wind energy project in Ilocos Norte in the northern Philippines.
The recent expressions of support brought the total number of projects under Green Lane status to 126, with an estimated cost of €4.13 trillion.
“The Green Lane initiative ensures that the Philippines remains competitive on the global stage and attracts investors who prioritize innovation and sustainability,” Ceferino S. Rodolfo, Undersecretary of Commerce and director of the BoI, said in the statement.
“With over P4 trillion in investments alreadyFIn doing so, we are setting a clear path towards growing renewable energy, creating jobs and reducing our environmental footprint,” he added.
Investments in RE projects increased after the government allowed full foreign ownership in the sector, which was previously capped at 40%.
In addition to RE projects, Green Lane’s approved investments also include six digital infrastructure projects worth P346.33 billion, four food security projects worth P4.14 billion, and two manufacturing projects worth P29.61 billion.
“Of the 126 green-lane certified projects, 43 have been registered with the BoI, amounting to P1.91 trillion in investments, while the remaining 83 worth P2.22 trillion are in the pipeline for registration,” the BoI said .
“These projects are seen as essential to supporting the Philippines’ goals to increase renewable energy capacity, reduce carbon emissions and create local jobs,” it added.
The BoI had set an internal target of approving an amount of 1.25 to 1.5 trillion euros in investment commitments this year.
But the upper limit of the target was raised to P1.6 trillion in July due to the increasing number of projects in the pipeline being approved for green track status.
The BoI’s latest report shows that as of September 15, it had approved 225 investment commitments worth P1.35 trillion.
These surpassed last year’s full-year approvals worth P1.26 trillion and represented 84% of the agency’s target this year.
Meanwhile, the BoI said two projects have been granted green lane certificateFications have become operational.
One of these is PV Sinag Power, Inc.’s Cayanga-Bugallon solar project. peaking at 94,717 megawatts in Pangasinan province. The other is Nexif Ratch Energy Investments Pte. Ltd.’s Calabanga solar power plant in Camarines Sur.
“With the BoI’s green approval, provisional authority to operate was accelerated, significantly shortening the usual 60-day processing period required by the Energy Regulatory Commission,” the agency said.
It added that the approval of the Calabanga project in June 2024 was one of the reasons why the project could be deployed more quickly. The project was inaugurated on September 12.
In February 2023, the government, through Executive Order No. 18, established the “green-lane” system in all government agencies to accelerate investment approvals and permits. — Justine Irish D. Table