The Philippines has rescheduled its inaugural offshore wind auction, GEA-5, to December 1, 2026, after pausing the process on July 4, according to Splash247. The Department of Energy (DOE) said the auction will target up to 3.3GW of offshore wind capacity. The suspension was intended to allow the DOE, other government agencies, and industry stakeholders to review port readiness, permitting, environmental and port-related costs, grid connection, and potential supply chain disruptions.
Revised timeline and review process
Under the revised schedule, these requirements will be validated by September 2, 2026, Splash247 reported. A department circular setting out the policy framework for the recalibration is targeted for signing by late August and publication in early September. Supplemental terms of reference (TOR) for GEA-5 will then go through public consultation, with final approval and release targeted for early October. Once the TOR is approved, the DOE will issue an updated GEA-5 timeline, a stakeholder advisory, and revised instructions to bidders, along with authority to resume the auction. Auction activities, including the posting of qualified bidders, are expected to run through the fourth quarter, leading to the auction on December 1. Bid validation, issuance of notices of award, post-auction evaluation, and the issuing of certificates of award are scheduled between December 2, 2026, and June 30, 2027. All dates may shift depending on inter-agency coordination, legal review, and approval processes, according to Splash247.
| Milestone | Revised schedule |
|---|---|
| Requirement validation | September 2, 2026 |
| Department circular signing (targeted) | Late August 2026 |
| Circular publication (targeted) | Early September 2026 |
| TOR final approval/release (targeted) | Early October 2026 |
| Auction | December 1, 2026 |
| Certificate of award issuance | By June 30, 2027 |
Offshore wind potential and existing capacity
The auction is part of the government's broader effort to develop the Philippines' offshore wind industry, according to the DOE. The agency estimates the country's technical offshore wind potential exceeds 178GW, Splash247 reported. The DOE has already awarded 95 offshore wind service contracts representing more than 72GW of potential capacity. Despite this, the Philippines has yet to install a commercial offshore wind project. DOE data showed that the country had 450MW of installed on-grid wind capacity as of end-March 2026, equivalent to 1.4% of total installed generating capacity. All existing wind farms are onshore.
The DOE estimates the Philippines' offshore wind technical potential exceeds 178GW, according to Splash247.
Renewable energy targets and market context
The DOE expects offshore wind to help raise the share of renewable energy in the country's power generation mix to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040, Splash247 reported. The GEA-5 auction, targeting up to 3.3GW, is scheduled for December 1, 2026, with post-award steps running through June 30, 2027. The revised timeline aims to address port readiness, permitting, environmental and port-related costs, grid connection, and potential supply chain disruptions, the DOE said.
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