In a significant step toward advancing the country’s clean energy goals, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) have formalized their partnership for a three-year technical cooperation project to conduct a nationwide resource inventory of hydropower potential sites. The initiative aims to identify and assess viable large-scale hydropower sites across the country, in support of sustainable power generation and encourage greater private sector participation through the DOE’s Open and Competitive Selection Process (OCSP).
Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla and JICA Chief Representative Mr. Baba Takashi signed the Records of Discussion for the Project on Resource Inventory of Hydropower Potential Sites on 09 June 2025. Scheduled to commence in September 2025, the Project will focus on developing a national inventory of large-scale hydropower sites, particularly those suitable for impounding and pumped-storage technologies with capacities exceeding 100 megawatts (MW).
The signing ceremony was also attended by Mr. Yokota Naobumi, Japan’s Minister for Economic Affairs.
The project will be implemented in three phases, beginning with the gathering of relevant data such as topographic maps, rainfall and flow data and conduct of field survey of four priority sites. These sites will serve as pilot areas for pre-feasibility studies and potential future investment opportunities.
This effort builds on a longstanding energy cooperation between the Philippines and Japan. Notably, it expands upon the groundwork laid by a 2012 JICA-supported study that assessed the potential of small- to medium-scale run-of-river, reservoir, and pondage hydropower plants below 100 MW. Said study not only established the DOE’s current hydropower database but also provided critical inputs for long-term energy planning and past OCSP rounds.
“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. 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,” said Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla during the signing ceremony.
This initiative is also the first technical cooperation project formulated and approved following JICA’s Data Collection Survey for Climate Change Measures and Green Transformation, completed in 2024. In this study, the DOE served as one of JICA’s key cooperating agencies, contributing to the identification of priority areas for climate change mitigation and sustainable energy development in the Philippines. ###