Web portal launched to hasten processing of energy projects

Sunstar Davao
By Reuel John F. Lumawag
Monday, October 13, 2014

THE Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) launched Monday the One-Stop Facilitation and Monitoring (OSFM) Web Portal at Diamond Hotel in Manila in a bid to accelerate the processing and approval of renewable energy (RE) projects in Mindanao.

This was announced through Minda's Facebook page. The web portal is an initiative of Minda and the Department of Energy.

According to Minda, the web portal is an "online database that will accelerate the processing and approval of various RE projects in Mindanao through a monitoring system that provides real-time updates to project proponents and permitting partner agencies" like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reforms, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, and National Water Resources Board.

The agency did a demonstration of how RE project proponents can navigate the portal and did a ceremonial turnover of computer certificates to partner agencies that will be exclusively using the OSFM web portal.

During the Mindanao Power Stakeholders Dialogue last month, it was presented that the portal will provide for the following: a seamless integration and interfacing between and among permitting agencies to facilitate and accelerate processing; agencies and proponents can save on cost by doing real-time online updating of status; one stop facilitation and monitoring will hasten permitting process; and faster approval means more RE capacities in the energy mix.

Earlier, Romeo M. Montenegro, Minda director of investment promotions and public affairs, said the initiative will cut down the approval time of RE projects from three to five years to only one to two years, given that the requirements of the proponent are complete.

The initiative will prioritize the fast-tracking of 157 RE project applications for Mindanao that have an aggregated potential capacity of 1,699.57 megawatts.

Hydro power projects are the bulk of pending applications with 115 projects and a combined potential capacity of 1,129.82 MW. Solar energy accounts for 27 projects with a potential of 277.5 MW, geothermal energy has eight projects with a potential of 200 MW, and biomass energy has seven projects with a potential of 92.25 MW.

Montenegro said that through the OSFM Web Portal, they are targeting to have most of the 157 projects approved by 2016. Once approved, they are expecting that the RE projects will give Mindanao a 50/50 energy mix of renewable and non-renewable energy by 2020. source