San Antonio Hybrid Renewable Energy Demonstrator

MRE Project Site

Title: San Antonio Hybrid Renewable Energy Demonstrator

Status:

Planned

Tech Developer:

Zentera Holdings

Start Date:

December 31, 2028

Info Last Updated:

September 7, 2026

Contact:

Marianne Eleanor Catanyag
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Details

Device Name:

PLAT-I

Technology:

Marine Energy, Tidal

Technology Subtype:

Floating

Support Structure:

Mooring Lines, Gravity Anchor

Grid Connection:

Grid-Connected

Installed Capacity:

600kW tidal energy converter

Electrical Infrastructure:

Unburied Seafloor Cables

Country:

Philippines

Physical Site:

Open Coast, Isolated/Quiet Environment (<80 dB), Hard-Bottom Habitat

Water Depth:

30m - 100m

Description

The San Antonio Hybrid Renewable Energy Project is a proposed 2.4 MW hybrid renewable energy system on San Antonio Island, Northern Samar, designed to demonstrate a replicable clean-energy solution for off-grid and missionary islands in the Philippines. The system integrates 1.8 MWp of ground-mounted solar PV, a 600 kW floating PLAT-I tidal stream energy system, and a 4.45 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), with 600 kW diesel generators as emergency backup.

The tidal energy conversion system will be deployed in a nearshore marine area west of the island and connected to the onshore facilities through a 13.8 kV submarine cable, while the solar PV, BESS, substation, and control infrastructure will be located near the existing National Power Corporation (NPC) power plant and barangay centre.

The project aims to achieve at least 70% renewable-energy penetration, reduce generation costs by at least 30%, increase supply capacity by at least 50%, and reduce annual CO₂ emissions by approximately 60–70% compared with the existing diesel-based system. It is intended not only to improve electricity supply on San Antonio Island but also to serve as a model for deploying tidal–solar–battery hybrid systems in other remote Philippine islands.

Location

The municipality of San Antonio lies at approximately 13º 10’ 15” N, 124º 30’ 30” E, occupying Dalupiri Island with a total land area of 28.29 km². The municipality is bounded on the north by the San Bernardino Strait, on the west by Capul Pass and on the east by Dalupiri Pass (separating it from the municipalities of San Isidro and Allen).

Map of Northern Samar showing the location of San Antonio Municipality (Dalupiri Island). Source: Google Maps

The island is accessible by small outrigger boats from the Port of Allen (~8 km distance). The project’s onshore facilities will be situated near the existing NPC power plant and barangay center, while the tidal energy converter (TEC) will be deployed within a 1.5 km² marine area west of the island.

Licensing Information

The project will require the following permits and regulatory approvals from the relevant national and local authorities, covering environmental compliance, renewable energy development, marine resource use, indigenous peoples’ rights, electricity supply, and construction. Key authorities include DENR-EMB, DOE, NWRB, NCIP, ERC, the LGU of San Antonio, and NORSAMELCO, with additional coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard for maritime safety

The project will require the following permits from the relevant authorities:

Permit	Authority
Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) / IEE	DENR-EMB
Water Rights Permit	National Water Resources Board (NWRB)
Renewable Energy Service Contracts (Ocean & Solar)	Department of Energy (DOE)
Certificate of Non-Overlap (CNO) / FPIC	National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)
Power Supply Agreement (PSA) approval	Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), with NORSAMELCO
Construction Permit / EPC arrangements	LGU of San Antonio and DOE oversight
Maritime navigation / safety approvals	Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)

An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment is being prepared, along with a project specific Environmental and Social Management Plan. A separate Environmental and Social Research Strategy will be prepared in collaboration with local research institutes and other strategic partners.

Table 1 below summarizes the principal permits, lead agencies, and expected timelines:

Permit / License	Authority / Law	Application Schedule	Notes
Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) - Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)	Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environment Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) /DENR Administrative Order 2003-30	Sept to Dec 2026	IEE only required; Environmental and Social Impact Assessment voluntarily prepared to IFC standards
Water Rights Permit	National Water Resources Board (NWRB)	Sept 2026	For seawater use in TSE operation
Renewable Energy Service Contracts (Ocean & Solar)	DOE Renewable Energy Act 2008	Existing TSE contract; Solar contract Jul 2026
Certificate of Non-Overlap CNO)/ Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC)	National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) Republic Act 8371 Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA)	Sept to Dec 2026	CNO is applicable since the project area does not overlap an ancestral domain.
Power Supply Agreement (PSA)	Northern Samar Electric Cooperative (NORSAMELCO) with Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approval	Draft by Sept 2026	Unsolicited proposal underway
Construction Permit / EPC arrangements	Local Government Units of the Municipality of San Antonio and DOE oversight	Jan to Mar 2027	To be issued after IEE approval

Project Progress

The project is currently in the development and permitting phase, including completion of the environmental and social assessment and preparation of the required regulatory submissions. The pre-ECC (Environmental Compliance Certificate) submission to Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) is targeted for September 2026.

Subject to completion of the required approvals, financing and project development activities, the project will progress to detailed design, procurement, construction and commissioning. The current project schedule targets completion and commissioning by December 2027, representing a total project duration of approximately 36 months.

Key Environmental Issues

To be conducted following completion of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment.

Environmental Monitoring: San Antonio Hybrid Renewable Energy Demonstrator

Phase

Stressor

Receptor

Searches description, design & methods, results.

Phase	Stressor & Receptor	Design and Methods	Results
Baseline	Noise	Assessment of existing and potential underwater noise sources and potential effects on marine fauna. Desktop review of project activities and available regional environmental information.	Planning Not yet available.
Baseline	Habitat Change Marine Mammals	Assessment of the presence, potential habitat use and sensitivity of marine mammals within the San Antonio project area and wider San Bernardino Strait. Desktop review of available environmental and ecological information for San Antonio and the wider San Bernardino Strait, including marine mammal records and habitat information.	Underway Not yet available.
Baseline	Habitat Change	Regional screening of protected areas, marine protected areas, biodiversity areas and sensitive habitats relevant to project development. Review of available spatial, environmental and biodiversity information for San Antonio and the wider San Bernardino Strait, with screening against the project location and potential impact area.	Regional desktop screening completed; project-specific spatial verification ongoing. Not yet available.
Baseline	Collision Fish, Human Dimensions, Fisheries	Assessment of fish resources and fisheries within San Antonio and the wider San Bernardino Strait, including potential interactions with tidal energy development. Assessment of fish resources and fisheries within San Antonio and the wider San Bernardino Strait, including potential interactions with tidal energy development.	Underway Not yet available.
Baseline , Construction	Habitat Change Birds	Assessment of coastal and marine bird habitats and potential interaction with project construction and tidal energy infrastructure. Desktop review of available ecological and habitat information for San Antonio and the wider region. Mangrove, intertidal and marine bird habitats will be considered.	Underway Not yet available.
Baseline	Habitat Change Invertebrates	Assessment of seabed, benthic and intertidal habitats within the project area and wider region. Desktop review of available habitat, environmental and ecological information.	Underway Based on available information, no coral reefs, seagrass beds or other ecologically critical habitats have been identified within the immediate TSE footprint.
Baseline	Habitat Change Reptiles, Sea Turtles	Assessment of marine turtle occurrence, habitat use and potential interaction with the project and wider San Bernardino Strait. Desktop review of available marine turtle, habitat, feeding and nesting information.	Underway Marine turtles are recorded within the wider San Antonio coastal area, while regional information identifies turtle feeding and nesting areas as sensitive receptors.
Baseline	Physical Environment	Characterisation of tidal currents, waves and hydrodynamic conditions relevant to project siting and environmental assessment. Review of project-specific ADCP measurements, pre-feasibility information and available regional hydrodynamic information. Longer-term field measurements and hydrodynamic modelling are being considered.	Completed Project-specific ADCP measurements indicate peak tidal currents of approximately 3–5 m/s. Regional information provides additional context on hydrodynamic conditions and supports the need for longer-term measurements and modelling.
Baseline	Physical Environment, Sediment Transport	Assessment of seabed morphology, sediment characteristics and potential effects of construction and operation on sediment transport and coastal processes. Review of available bathymetric, coastal and sediment information for the project area and wider region.	Underway Not yet available.
Baseline	Changes in Flow, Habitat Change Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport	Assessment of potential changes to ecological functions and processes resulting from seabed disturbance, habitat alteration, hydrodynamic changes and project operation. Integrated review of available information on benthic ecology, fisheries, marine fauna, hydrodynamics and sediment processes for the project area and wider region.	Underway Not yet available.
Baseline	Changes in Flow Physical Environment, Water Quality	Establishment of baseline marine water-quality conditions and assessment of potential construction and operational effects. Review of available physicochemical and regional environmental information. A dedicated marine water-quality survey is proposed, including temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, suspended solids, nutrients and hydrocarbons.	Underway Available information indicates generally well-mixed coastal waters, with existing data providing preliminary information on salinity, temperature and pH. A comprehensive project-specific water-quality baseline has not yet been completed.