The Philippines Department of Energy announced the Maharlika Consortium – comprising Manila-based Maharlika Clean Power Holding Inc., Singapore-based joint venture firm CleanGrid Partners and Singapore-based renewable energy company WEnergy Global – will build a pair of hybrid microgrid projects.

Both projects will be hybrid solar and diesel generator power plants consisting of a “smart” transmission and distribution network, according to tender documents.

The first microgrid will be built in the province of Palawan on the island of Panlaitan, and is expected to produce 17.3 GWh over 15 years.

The second will be located in the province of Barangay Bulalacao on the island of Mindoro, and expected to generate 11.7 GWh over 15 years.

Both regions register “underserved” levels of energy, according to the tender documents. The projects are expected to produce a minimum share of 35% of renewable energy one year following operation commencement. This will increase to 50% by 2040 and be maintained thereafter.

The projects form part of the Philippine Energy Plan – a government policy aiming to electrify all the Southeast Asian country’s households by 2030. Traditional energy sources – coal, geothermal, hydropower and natural gas – are envisaged to make up the bulk of the archipelago’s baseload capacity (70%), with a sliver (20%) coming from natural gas and the remainder (10%) sourced from oil-based plants and variable renewable energy, such as PV and wind.

Legal reforms and a liberalized energy market is making the Philippines an attractive place to rollout PV projects, one analyst toldpv magazinerecently.

The country aims to install 15 GW of clean energy by 2030 with a possible focus on mini-grids and standalone clean power, according to a 2022 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).