THE Department of Energy (DoE), and the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) on Thursday jointly signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to ease the requirements needed for predevelopment works related to offshore wind projects.

DoE Secretary Raphael Lotilla and DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga signed the agreement during the business-to-business matching event sponsored by the DoE at the Grand Hyatt Manila in Taguig City.

According to Lotilla, the MoA will help ease the requirements for the environment clearance certificate for predevelopment works as this will be the first time the Philippines has handled offshore wind projects.

"As DENR Secretary Loyzaga has discussed this morning, we signed the memorandum of agreement, which simplifies the process for the issuance for the predevelopment stage Environmental Clearance Certificate," he said.

For her part, Yulo-Loyzaga said the DENR is proud to partner in this endeavor, and it will assist future developers in their projects while still maintaining environmental standards.

"With this MoA, we hope that our continued partnership with the DoE will provide guidance to the developers, and assist them and ensure that their predevelopment exploration activities, and the eventual operation are within our environmental laws, rules and regulations, and within the best international practice," she said.