Philippines CCUS Strategic Roadmap

The Philippines has no standalone CCUS statute; carbon capture sits inside energy-planning documents as a “potential technology” whose applicability is still being determined. The anchor is the Philippine Energy Plan 2020-2040 (“Towards a Sustainable and Clean Energy Future”) under AmBisyon Natin 2040, with a Clean Energy Scenario targeting 35-50% renewable power share, LNG imports, EV penetration and energy savings. The analytical base is the ADB 2013 “Prospects for Carbon Capture and Storage in Southeast Asia” study, which screened power plants south of Metro Manila, reviewed storage in oil and gas fields, and drew an actionable pilot roadmap with a government CCS working group. Project delivery would run through generic fast-track channels: the Certificate of Energy Project of National Significance under Executive Order 30 and the Energy Virtual One Stop Shop Act (RA 11234). Climate linkage comes from the 2021 NDC (75% emission reduction/avoidance by 2030, only 2.71% unconditional) and its Implementation Plan (~$72 billion need, energy sector ~$36.5 billion). Independent technology ranking (Lau 2022) rates industrial and gas-plant CCS high on security and affordability for the country, with coal-to-gas switching as the nearer-term priority. Pending dedicated environmental guidelines on CCUS are the recognised next step before any pilot can proceed.