Philippines — The Philippines has assessed offshore wind potential of 178 GW, the largest in Southeast Asia, driven by strong monsoon winds particularly in the strait between Luzon and Taiwan. Over 55 offshore wind projects are in various development stages, with first commercial operations targeted for 2028-2030. Major players include Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Mainstream Renewable Power, and local developer ACEN.
The offshore wind push addresses two Philippine challenges simultaneously: energy security (the country imports >50% of its primary energy) and clean energy transition (current electricity is heavily coal-dependent). The 2022 liberalization of foreign ownership rules for renewable energy projects removed a key investment barrier.
The challenge is infrastructure: the Philippines lacks port facilities, installation vessels, and subsea cable manufacturing capacity needed for offshore wind at scale. Typhoon resilience adds engineering complexity — turbines must withstand Category 5 winds that are routine in the Philippine Sea. If the industry solves tropical-typhoon offshore wind engineering, the solution applies to Taiwan, southern Japan, and potentially Vietnam's coastline.