Pioneering tidal power project announced for the Philippines

It's hailed as Southeast Asia’s first-ever tidal power generation plant and will be built by Inyanga Marine Energy Group and Energies PH affiliate San Bernardino Ocean Power Corporation.

The 1MW tidal power project will use marine energy specialist Inyanga’s HydroWing tidal stream technology and will be situated at the Capul Island of Northern Samar in the Philippines, an area known for strong marine currents.

Jean-Christophe Allo, commercial manager at Inyanga, commented: “This exciting project will create a step change for the remote community on Capul. It will bring tidal energy to the region of Southeast Asia for the first time".

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According to Allo, the project incorporates an onshore storage component, allowing for round-the-clock power supply, as opposed to the frequent blackouts experienced currently.

The first stage of the project will see the HydroWing tidal stream turbines connected to the electrical network of Capul, an off-grid island currently relying on a 750 kW diesel power plant.

The tidal power plant coupled with solar PV and energy storage will deliver a more reliable and sustainable alternative to fossil-based power generation.

Antonio Ver, co-chairman and CEO of Energies PH said: “As we embark on this pioneering tidal power plant for the Philippines, our vision is to replicate this in several off-grid sites all over the country to provide electricity in the hinterlands. We see the initial project in Capul as a catapult to achieving our goal of helping create sustainable communities across the Philippines. The electric power that reaches families in remote areas enables them to have better access to education, health services as well as livelihood opportunities."

The project is expected to deploy in late 2025.

San Bernardino Ocean Power Corporation is planning additional tidal power generation sites in San Antonio Island, also in Northern Samar, and the Calintaan Island in Matnog, Sorsogon.

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Marine energy in the Philippines

The county’s location and archipelagic features provide for significant marine energy potential, according to the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership, a multi-donor partnership driving energy transition in the region.

While offshore wind is currently the most commercially viable renewable technology available in the region, small marine energy pilot systems are seen as an option to provide power in off-grid areas such as islands and remote locations.

The main challenges to deployment are that the technologies are quite new and the financial institutions view these as high-risk projects.

The Philippines aims to increase the share of renewable energy to 35% by 2030 and 50% by 2040.

As of 2022, the energy mix was made up of coal (31%), natural gas (4.2%), renewable energy (32.7%), and oil-based solutions (32.2%).