RED tape and land issues are two major obstacles hindering energy development in the country, Aboitiz Renewables Inc. Chief Growth Officer David Aboitiz said on Thursday.
The “permitting process,” he said at a Manila Times forum, is among the “biggest time-bound constraints that ... slow us down.”
“The whole process is very bureaucratic,” Aboitiz added, noting that among others, some permits can only be secured after a prior one is granted.
“Number two would be land issues,” he continued.
“I always like to say we’ve got the wrong slogan. It’s more fun in the Philippines when it comes to land consolidation for these big projects.”
Another factor hindering development is transmission capacity, with Aboitiz saying “I don’t think we’ve been able to keep up with the grid rollout in order to keep up the pace with the amount of renewables that are being built.”
This has led to solar, wind and other similar projects taking years to be developed, he added.
Aboitiz Renewables is the holding company for Aboitiz Power Corp’s green energy portfolio, which is targeted to grow to 4,600 megawatts by 2030.
Its projects include the Cayanga, Laoag 1 and 2, Armenia and Calatrava solar projects in Pangasinan, Tarlac and Negros Occidental and the Tiwi geothermal plant in Albay.
Last December, it acquired full ownership of a company developing a solar project in Bohol that is expected to start commercial operations in 2027.