The UAE's Masdar and the Philippines Government have formalized agreements to advance up to 1 gigawatt (GW) of clean energy projects in the Southeast Asian nation. The agreements, which include an implementation agreement with the Department of Energy (DoE) and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Board of Investments (BOI) of the Philippines, will cover the development of solar, wind, and battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a total capacity of up to 1000 megawatts (MW) by 2030.
The signing ceremony, attended by key officials from both nations, marks a significant step in the collaboration between the UAE and the Philippines. The event was witnessed by Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Chairman of Masdar, alongside Raphael Lotilla, Secretary of Energy for the Philippines.
Under the implementation agreement, DoE Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara and Masdar CEO Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi formalized the commitment. Meanwhile, the MoU was exchanged between Alfonso Ferdinand Ver, Ambassador of the Philippines to the UAE, and Al Ramahi.
The agreement supports the Philippines' Energy Transition Program, which aims to achieve 35% renewable energy in power generation by 2030 and 50% by 2040. It builds on a prior MoU signed in November 2024 between the Philippines and the UAE, which identified renewable energy as a key area for cooperation during a working visit by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the UAE.
Sultan Al Jaber emphasized the importance of the agreement, stating, “This partnership marks a new chapter in the longstanding relationship between the UAE and the Philippines. By leveraging the UAE's world-class expertise in renewable energy and the Philippines' abundant natural resources, this agreement will create jobs, drive low-carbon socio-economic progress and expand global renewable energy capacity in line with the UAE Consensus.
Secretary Lotilla also highlighted the significance of the collaboration, saying, “Building on the longstanding ties between our nations and the recent Energy Transition Cooperation agreement, we welcome Masdar's proven leadership and expertise in delivering utility-scale renewable energy solutions. This collaboration will significantly advance our goal of achieving 35 percent renewable energy in power generation by 2030.
This agreement marks Masdar's formal entry into the renewable energy sector in the Philippines. The company, which is focusing on Southeast Asia for future investments, has previously developed the 145MW Cirata floating solar plant in Indonesia. Additionally, Masdar entered the geothermal sector in 2023 with a strategic investment in Pertamina Geothermal Energy, and it signed a landmark agreement with the Malaysian Investment Development Authority to develop 10GW of clean energy projects across Malaysia.
