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PRIMRE/Databases/Projects Database/Projects/Zambales Energy Island
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Zambales Energy Island
Zambales was identified as a key strategic location for deployment of OTEC technologies due to the area’s world class thermal gradient resource combined with its close proximity to urban and industrial areas, existing infrastructure, and manpower in accordance with the future requirements of the Philippines’ ocean energy industry. The Zambales Energy Island is an OTEC pilot plant located within 10 km off the west coast of Luzon around 120 km north of Manila. The project will connect to the main transmission grid in Botolan and is not dependent on transmission upgrades. It is expected to offset approximately 84,121 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year and represents an investment of $180m. The experience gained from the pilot plant will play a vital role in plans to expand to two further sites, each of which could potentially produce 600 MW.
Originally, the project was expected to become operational in 2018. That would have made the Philippines the first country to scale up OTEC technology. Due to the delay in granting the feed-in tariff (FIT) rate, the opening was moved back to 2022 but an official start of operation date has not been announced yet.
Additional Information
Project Status
Is the project actively being planned or is deployed in the water (active)? Or was the project canceled or completed (inactive)?
Active
Project Life Cycle
Project Progress through life cycle:
- Planned: Project has identified a deployment location and is preparing for deployment
- Operational: Project is deployed in the water and is active
- Completed: Project was previously deployed in the water
- Decommissioned: Installation has been fully removed in accordance with regulations
- Canceled: Project was canceled before being deployed in the water
Planned
Max Rated Power Capacity
The maximum amount of electricity that can be produced by project, based on available resources and device nameplate capacity.
10 MW
Energy Resource
- Thermal Gradient
Project Scale
Full-scale
Number of Devices
1
Grid Connectivity
Grid Connected
Waterbody
Cabangan, Zambales, Luzon (substation Botolan)
Site Characteristics
Geographic characterization for the project location:
- Open Ocean: Main body of ocean, not enclosed or partially enclosed by land
- Coastal: Open water near the coast, spanning between land and shelf boundary
- Enclosed Bay: water that is partially surrounded by land, with a mouth open to larger water
- Constricted Channel: A channel where water flows quickly due to narrowing by the land
- River: Water flowing from land towards a larger body of water
Coastal
Country
Philippines
This Project has the following MRE Devices
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Citation Formats
“Zambales Energy Island.” Marine Energy Projects Database: Projects, PRIMRE, United States Department of Energy, https://openei.org/wiki/PRIMRE/Databases/Projects_Database/Projects/Zambales_Energy_Island. Accessed <day> <monthRoman> <year>.
Marine Energy Projects Database: Projects. <year>. "Zambales Energy Island." Accessed <monthRoman> <day>, <year>. https://openei.org/wiki/PRIMRE/Databases/Projects_Database/Projects/Zambales_Energy_Island.
Last modified: 8 April 2025