The Department of Energy (DOE) said Tuesday it received 25 applications for 13 of 20 pre-determined areas (PDAs) under the 4th Open and Competitive Selection Process (OCSP4) for hydro, geothermal and wind energy resources.
PDAs refer to locations with potential RE resources, as supported by sufficient technical data, and are suitable for further developments.
The DOE said three PDAs for geothermal resources with a total potential capacity of 160 MW, 14 PDAs for hydropower with 87.96 MW and three PDAs for wind resources participated in the OCSP4.
DOE assistant secretary Mylene Capongcol said the OCSP4 turnout was “very good.”
“We received applications especially for wind projects, there are number of bids per PDA,” Capongcol said.
This is the first OCSP round to offer PDAs for wind projects, resulting from the recently-completed resource assessment for wind energy.
The OCSP is being adopted as a mode for the selection and award of renewable energy (RE) contracts particularly for identified PDAs through a bidding process.
The OCSP4 Review and Evaluation Committee (REC) presided by Capongcol conducted the opening of bids and the determination of completeness of bid submission with on-site and virtual attendance of the bidders on Sept. 28, 2023.
Bidders with incomplete submissions were given until Oct. 2, 2023 to file for a motion for reconsideration.
The REC is reviewing the motion for reconsideration from four bidders, including two hydro and two wind PDAs.
Based on the prescribed timelines, the legal, technical and financial evaluation of all bids is expected to be completed by Oct. 12, 2023, while the awarding of RE contracts is targeted on Nov. 24, 2023.
All RE developers whose applications were accepted are required to settle the processing fees within three days from receipt of the payment order.
The DOE said PDAs where no bid was received may be declared open for direct application pursuant to the existing guidelines.
QuadRiver Energy Corp. submitted a bid for the 5 MW Tinoc 4 hydro power project, 16.2 MW Alilem hydro project, 15 MW Main Aklan hydro project, 4.5 MW Sawaga hydro project and 3.3 MW Catuiran (Upper Cascade) hydro project. All QuadRiver Energy applications were found to be complete.
Other offers were from Regenerative Sustainable Project Inc. for the 0.5 MW Basak II hydro project, Paragon Green Energy Development Corp. for the 16.3 MW Carac-an hydro project and the King Energy Generation Inc. for the 3.6 MW Langaran hydro project.
The three remaining applications were found by DOE to be incomplete.