NKS Solar One, a joint venture between Blueleaf Energy Philippines and NKS Energy Utilities, said it has been awarded a Certificate of Energy Projects of National Significance (EPNS) by the Department of Energy (DOE) under Executive Order (EO) 30.
The company is developing a 250 megawatts peak (MWp) floating solar project at Caliraya and Lumot Lakes in Laguna that is anticipated to be the first utility-scale floating solar project in the Philippines.
“We are honored and excited to receive this national recognition. This sends a strong message that our project aligns with the national government’s priorities to address the country’s urgent need for more energy,” said Andre Pablo Fausto III, NKS Solar One president, in a statement yesterday.
EO 30 was signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2017 which created the Energy Investment Coordinating Council to streamline the regulatory procedures affecting energy projects of national importance.
Under the implementing rules and regulations of the order, the processing of permits and licenses shall be within a maximum period of 30 days for projects declared as EPNS.
The 30-day deadline starts from the submission of the complete documentary requirements to the relevant agencies involved in the permitting process.
Holders of the said certificate are also presumed to have already complied with the requirements and permits from other government permitting agencies.
NKS Solar One’s 250 MWp floating solar project is among those that qualified for incentivized rates under the DOE’s second round of Green Energy Auction Program in 2023.
The floating solar project is expected to be online by the first quarter of 2026.
