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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider Banking & Finance devider RE transmission, distribution: Philippines' next major investment magnet

RE transmission, distribution: Philippines' next major investment magnet

Published Mar 19, 2025 11:50 am

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Renewable energy (RE) infrastructure, particularly those focused on transmission and distribution, is poised to be the country’s most lucrative investment magnet in the near future.

HSBC Hong Kong Global Financing Solutions Director Max Thomas had this to say, as he noted that the wholesale transformation of transmission and distribution infrastructure in RE projects across the country would require substantial foreign investments.

“We can’t have a whole rollout of solar, wind, geothermal without actually enhancing the transmission and distribution infrastructure to manage the baseload and the metering,” said Thomas during the InvestPH event on Wednesday, March 19.

The bank executive noted that the country’s RE industry is attractive to investors, especially as it continues to scale up.

However, he admitted that the Philippines “doesn’t do a fantastic job” on enticing investments into the RE sector’s transmission and distribution infrastructure.

Thomas said this is a clear misstep given that the country continues to be the leading destination for RE investments.

Last year, the RE industry received the highest amount of investments, totaling to ₱1.3 trillion, based on the approved investments by the country’s investment promotion agencies (IPAs).

“I think that is going to continue for the foreseeable future as we transition away from traditional energy, as we start to develop more renewable,” noted Thomas.

Thomas, who leads HSBC’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) solutions unit, said the London-based bank is seeing more investments into RE infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region.

This growing trend, he said, will be pivotal for the decarbonization goals across the region.

Other investment venues

On another note, public transportation is seen as another investment venue for the Philippines as public-private partnerships (PPP) kicked into high gear.

According to Thomas, foreign investors see immense potential in transportation since projects can generate steady revenue, such as the case of trains and expressways.

“From a Manila perspective, the investment into the mass transport, in particular, is a huge opportunity,” he said.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr), under Secretary Vince Dizon, has underscored the importance of PPP to enhance the efficiency of the transportation system.

Dizon is eyeing partnerships with the private sector for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), EDSA bus carousel, and regional airports, among others.

Moreover, Thomas said “novel technologies” such as district cooling system (DSC) could also be another investment prospect for the Philippines.

The DSC is an alternative cooling method where the temperature is centrally produced rather than local systems for each building.

Thomas said Hong Kong is now urging business establishments to DSC in a bid to conserve energy—a trend that could soon reach the Philippines.

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FOREIGN INVESTMENTS hsbc renewable energy source
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