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Two of Prime Infra’s pumped storage projects recently received “Certificates of Energy Project of National Significance” (CEPNS) from the Department of Energy (DOE).

The two projects, namely the Pakil Pumped Storage Power Project in Laguna and the Wawa Pumped Storage Power Project in Rizal, are designed to meet energy demand by harnessing the potential of renewable energy sources to provide reliable and sustainable electricity storage.

“We thank the Department of Energy for recognizing the importance of our pumped storage projects in the nationwide agenda to achieve energy security. These are critical projects, essential to enable the energy transition and to enhance grid security through flexible energy generation,” said Prime Infra President and CEO Guillaume Lucci.

“As we advance through the development phases of these two projects, Prime Infra remains committed to leveraging pioneering solutions that meet current energy demands and position the Philippines to effectively tackle the challenges of a dynamic energy landscape going through a critical transition,” Lucci added.

CEPNS are issued to “energy projects that are found to have significant impact on the country’s energy sufficiency, security, reliability and stability, economic development, technological progress, and environmental protection.” It will fast-track the issuance of permits and clearances required by different concerned government agencies for energy projects.

Under DOE Department Order No. DO2024-04-0003, an energy project shall be certified if it has significant capital investment of at least Php 3.5 billion and contribution to the country’s economic development through greater access to energy and energy supply security.

Projects of national significance should also have significant complex technical processes involving newly developed technologies, and significant infrastructure associated with the delivery of energy services and/or supply.

The Wawa Pumped Storage Power Project in Rizal is currently being developed by Olympia Violago Water Power, Inc. (OVWPI), a subsidiary of Prime Infra. The project, with an investment amounting to USD2.57 billion, will have a storage capacity of 6,000 MWh per day and a generating output capacity of 600 MW.

On May 24, Friday, a team of key officials and technical experts from DOE led by Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara visited the Wawa project site to evaluate its progress. They emphasized the importance of completing the project as scheduled, highlighting its role to strengthening energy security.

The Wawa Pumped Storage Power Project aims to support ancillary energy supply and energy storage requirements of the power grid. It stands as a significant player in the energy landscape by enabling the continued dispatch of variable renewable energy as it stores excess capacity when there’s an oversupply, and dispatching the same when the supply goes back down.

Meanwhile, the Pakil Pumped Storage Power Project in Laguna by Ahunan Power, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Prime Infra, will have a storage capacity of 14,000 MWh per day, and a generating output capacity of 1,400 MW. The project investment amounts to USD5.03 billion and is expected to be among the largest pumped storage power plants in Asia once completed.

Both projects, which also received the Green Lane endorsement from the Department of Trade and Industry and Board of Investments last month, will commence operations by 2030.