Industry seeking faster permitting process for power projects in the Philippines

Industry seeking faster permitting process for power projects in the
Philippines

New report highlights the urgent need for the Philippines to streamline the
permitting process for power projects in the country and allow for a faster
process to obtain permits to build much needed power plants.

A report recently sent to media in the Philippines highlights an "urgent
need for the [Philippines] government to streamline the permitting process
for power plant projects to ensure the sector can meet the growing demand
for electricity in support of economic growth."

With the "positive performance of the economy in the Philippines", there is
growing production demand of goods and services, the demand for electricity
is expected to increase significantly, so the report.

There are though strong concerns, mostly to the old age of many of the power
plants operating in the country today and the lengthy application process
for power plant projects.

Nearly half of the power plants in operation "have been operating for at
least 20 years and several have been operating at less than their rated
capacities," the report highlights.

The report noted that out of the country's 104 power plants, 44 have been
operating for more than 20 years, leading to several yellow alert incidents
and automatic load droppings recorded in the first semester of 2016.

At the same time, under the present regulatory environment, more than 160
clearances and permits are required to construct a power plant, a lengthy
process that can stretch to a period of five years to complete, said the
report.

While regulation of the sector is needed, "such regulation can also hamper
industry growth" while application for permits can impact on generation
capacity.

The report said potential power plant developers must navigate a maze of
requirements including various permits, endorsements, clearances, and
authorities from several government agencies, both local and national.

They need endorsements from the Department of Energy at every step of
pre-development and development stages. The indigenous peoples in the area
need also to have their concerns addressed.

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Link to Original Article:
http://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/industry-seeking-faster-permitting-process-for
-power-projects-in-the-philippines/

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com