While the Philippine government is still dreaming of maximizing development of geothermal resources, experts regrettably noted that the country is already nearing its limit on that sphere.
Project operators affiliated with the International Geothermal Association have noted that the estimated geothermal resource of the country is at 4,000 megawatts; and 1,966 MW are already on commercial operations.
“The Philippines has an estimated 4,000 MW of geothermal resources and about 1,900 MW of this potential is already commercialized … this suggests that almost half of the geothermal potential of the Philippines has been developed already,” project operators said.
In the Geothermal Energy International Market Update report, however, the estimates given were higher with remaining untapped potential of 2,600 megawatts. But the government is prodded not to just anchor targets on “impractical assumptions.”
To surpass the ‘on-line capacity’ of existing geothermal leader United States, the immediate target of the Philippine government will be to scale up installed capacity to 3,100 megawatts.
Nevertheless, energy policymakers are being cautioned that the development of the remaining geothermal fields will be extra challenging and might entail more capital outlay just to bring these resources to commercial-scale development.
Many of the untapped potential they pointed out, are either “blind” or prospects with not much surface thermal manifestations; or they may be located in areas where there are security risks, such as those infested by communist-leaning groups.
Investors, they said, might not be too willing to spend huge capital given circumstances surrounding the rest of the country’s geothermal resources.
“Geothermal is capital intensive, hence, a developer has to spend huge amounts of money upfront for exploration, drilling wells and building surface facilities and power plants,” they explained.
Project operators have similarly emphasized that the Philippines is not lacking in skills or expertise when it comes to geothermal development because many of those employed in the sector are of international caliber when it comes to training and exposure.
“We have a lot of geothermal experts in the Philippines,” they enthused, adding that these people are now gainfully employed by project operators Chevron Geothermal Philippines Holdings, Aboitiz Power Renewables., Energy Development Corporation and even newcomer Maibarara Geothermal.
