The Department of Energy (DOE) has finalized a partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to launch a three-year technical cooperation project focused on mapping the country’s large-scale hydropower potential. The agreement, signed Monday by Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla and JICA Chief Representative Baba Takashi, aims to support clean and flexible energy development and enhance investor confidence through the Open and Competitive Selection Process (OCSP).
Set to begin in September 2025, the initiative will establish a national inventory of viable hydropower sites, particularly for impounding and pumped-storage technologies above 100 MW. The project will proceed in three phases, starting with data collection—including topography, rainfall, and flow data—and field surveys of four priority sites for pre-feasibility assessments.
Lotilla emphasized the strategic value of the initiative, noting Japan’s expertise in hydropower innovation and its role in enhancing energy security and rural development. This is JICA’s first technical cooperation project approved under its new climate and green transformation framework, following a previous collaboration in 2012 focused on sub-100 MW hydro potential.
Hydropower accounted for 3,841 MW or 12.6 percent of the country’s total installed capacity as of March 2025, according to DOE data. While financial details remain undisclosed, the policy implications signal a push toward long-term sustainable energy infrastructure with increased private sector engagement.
