The Philippines’ emerging waste-to-energy (WTE) industry is moving closer to commercial-scale development, with 14 projects clearing the government’s qualification stage and advancing to an October auction for power supply contracts.

The Department of Energy (DOE) said 11 bidders qualified for the Special Green Energy Auction for Waste-to-Energy (GEA-WTE), putting their projects in contention for contracts to turn solid waste into an additional source of electricity.

“We have 14 projects with 11 qualified bidders posted on the DOE website. The next is the pre-bid conference on September 15,” Energy Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara told reporters on Monday.

“The proper auction is October 13. And the certificate of award, our target is December 16 to 18,” she added.

The auction could open a new investment avenue for the renewable energy industry while helping address the country’s growing solid waste disposal requirements.

The qualified bidders are Green Atom Renewable Energy Corp., LECRA Eco Sustain Philippines Inc., Manila Integrated Environment Corp., San Mateo Sanitary Landfill and Dev. Corp., International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialist Inc., MetPower Venture Partners Holdings Inc., Prime Integrated Waste Solutions Inc., Forza Development Corp., North Maharlika Energy Corp., the City Government of Davao, and Pan Pacific Renewable Power Phils. Corp.

The DOE finalized the list after evaluating registration documents and revised work programs submitted by prospective participants.

The WTE auction is part of a government pipeline targeting to bring another 25 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity online between 2027 and 2035.

“All in all, the 10-year plan of the Green Energy Auction is 25 gigawatts of additional renewable energy capacity between 2027 and 2035,” Guevara said.

Among the biggest upcoming rounds is the fifth Green Energy Auction (GEA-5), which targets 3,300 megawatts (MW) of offshore wind capacity. The DOE expects auction activities to resume in October, followed by the auction proper in December.

GEA-6 will target 160 MW of biomass capacity, comprising 40 MW of cogeneration and 120 MW of stand-alone projects. The auction is slated for the fourth quarter.

The government is also preparing an auction covering 67.99 MW of hybrid solar and battery capacity across 20 off-grid sites, with existing diesel generators of the National Power Corp.’s Small Power Utilities Group serving as backup.

GEA-7, meanwhile, will offer 2,000 MW of integrated renewable energy and energy storage systems, 20 MW of rooftop solar and 120 MW of run-of-river hydro capacity. The auction is targeted for the fourth quarter.

Another 1,200 MW of onshore wind paired with battery energy storage is being lined up under GEA-8 for delivery from 2031 to 2033.

Later auction rounds will cover agricultural and aquaculture solar projects, including installations on underutilized government lands and irrigation canals, as well as additional hydro, geothermal, and other renewable energy technologies.