The Department of Energy (DOE) said it has formalized a three-year technical cooperation project with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to conduct a nationwide resource inventory of potential hydropower sites in the Philippines.
The initiative will identify and assess viable large-scale hydropower sites across the country, in support of sustainable power generation and to encourage greater private sector participation in projects offered by the government through the Open and Competitive Selection Process (OCSP), the DOE said in a statement on Tuesday.
Under the OCSP, prospective developers can bid for the right to develop predetermined areas where the DOE has conducted prior resource studies.
The DOE said that records of discussion for the project on resource inventory of potential hydropower sites were signed by Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla and JICA chief representative Baba Takashi on Monday, June 9.
The DOE said that actual studies with JICA have been scheduled to start by September 2025, with a focus on developing a national inventory of large-scale hydropower sites, suitable for impounding and pumped-storage technologies with capacities exceeding 100 megawatts (MW).
The data-gathering project will also be implemented in three phases, beginning with the gathering of relevant data such as topographic maps, rainfall and flow data, and the conduct of field surveys of four priority sites.
These sites will then serve as pilot areas for pre-feasibility studies and potential investment opportunities.
“This project marks a crucial step toward harnessing the full potential of hydropower, particularly pumped storage, as a strategic enabler of a power system that is clean, flexible and resilient. Japan’s global leadership in hydropower innovation brings immense value to this collaboration,” Lotilla said.
“Through JICA’s technical expertise, we gain the tools and insights needed to identify and unlock untapped hydropower resources, laying a strong foundation for long-term investments, rural development, and enhanced energy security,” he added.
The DOE also said this initiative was the first technical cooperation project formulated and approved following JICA’s Data Collection Survey for Climate Change Measures and Green Transformation, completed in 2024.
The DOE and JICA did not give details on the project cost.
The DOE said that in 2012, JICA also supported a study that assessed the potential of small-to-medium scale run-of-river, reservoir and pondage hydropower plants below 100 MW.
The agency said the study not only established the DOE’s current hydropower database but also provided critical inputs for long-term energy planning and past OCSP rounds.
Based on data from the DOE, as of the end of March 2025, the country’s total installed capacity from hydropower plants was 3,841 MW, equivalent to 12.6 percent of the country’s total installed capacity for the period, at 30,479 MW.
