The government is succeeding in getting more investments for renewable energy (RE) projects as it continues to push ease of doing business in the country.
As of the first two months of the current year, a total of P844.48 billion worth of RE projects have been endorsed for green lane processing under the One-Stop Action Center for Strategic Investments (OSAC-SI) of the Board of Investments (BOI), an agency attached to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The latest to get the green lane treatment is the RE project of Copenhagen Infrastructure New Market Fund (CI NMF) Philippines Corp., a 100-percent Danish energy company.
The BOI said its OSAC-SI granted the green lane certification to CI NMF on February 19, 2024 for its three offshore wind energy projects worth a total of P329 billion.
These potential investments are for its Pangasinan-La Union, Camarines Norte-Camarines Sur and Northern Samar offshore wind farms.
The BOI said these offshore wind energy projects have a total potential capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW).
CI NMF is the first fully foreign-owned RE company in the country that was awarded service contracts by the Department of Energy.
The company is the Philippine unit of Danish fund manager Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), the world’s largest fund manager dedicated to renewable energy investments, and a global leader in offshore wind projects.
Earlier, the OSAC-SI issued the green lane certification to two other renewables projects of CI NMF, including the P108.3-billion, 650-megawatt (MW) Samar North Offshore Wind Power Projects awarded on January 8, and the P162.92-billion, 1-GW San Miguel Bay Offshore Wind Project on January 19.
All three projects were registered with the BOI in 2023.
More RE projects approved
A week earlier, about P244.26 billion worth of RE projects were endorsed by the BOI for processing through the green lane.
The BOI said the RE investments certified for green lane treatment are the Guimaras Strait Wind Power Project of Triconti Southwind Corp. and the Guimaras Strait II Wind Power Project of Jet Stream Windkraft Corporation with combined investments of P221.6 billion.
These offshore wind investments have a target capacity of producing 1.2 GW of clean energy and will create 3,500 direct and indirect jobs.
“The projects are being undertaken in partnership with Sea Wind Holdings AG (Seawind), a Liechtenstein-based developer,” the BOI said.
The OSAC-SI also issued green lane endorsement to four geothermal projects.
Three of these projects will be undertaken by the Philippine Geothermal Production Company, Inc. (PGPC) and include the P7.58-billion, 105-megawatt (MW) Mt. Labo project; the P6.66-billion, 51-MW Dakal project; and the P5.03-billion, 50-MW Mt. Malinao project.
Pan Pacific Power Phils., Corp. (PPPPC) was also granted with a green lane certificate for its P689.9-million, 61-MW Baua-Sikaw Geothermal Power Project in the municipalities of Lal-lo, Gonzaga, and Sta. Ana in Cagayan Province. 
The OSAC-SI also released the Certificate for Green Lane Endorsement to Burgos Pangasinan Solar Energy Corporation (BPSEC) for its P2.7-billion, ground-mount solar power plant over 71.5 hectares of land with a target installed capacity of 65 MW at its peak.
The solar power farm targets to start commercial operation by September 2026.
Ease of doing business
Under Executive Order 18 signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Feb. 23, 2023, the government will provide green lane treatment to strategic investments, or those projects aligned with the Philippine Development Plan.
Also, highly desirable projects, foreign direct investments, and projects or activities under the Strategic Investment Priority Plan will be processed through the green lane.
These are part of the government’s drive in promoting ease of doing business in the Philippines.
The same EO also mandates national government agencies and local government units to expedite processing and issuance of permits and licenses for projects with green lane certification to attract more foreign investments. 
The green lane certificate is being issued by the BOI’s OSAC-SI.