EDC mobilizes rig for exploration drilling at Amacan geothermal site, Philippines
National highway in Tagum City, Mindanao, Philippines (source: S5switch at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
Carlo Cariaga
22 Sep 2025
Energy Development Corporation will soon start exploration drilling at the Amacan geothermal site in Philippines, with expected development of up to 100 MW.
Geothermal developer and operator Energy Development Corporation (EDC)will soon commence exploration drilling at the Amacan geothermal site in Mindanao in the Philippines. This was announced during an interview with Francis Giles Puno, President of First Gen Corp., the parent company of EDC.
“What we’re doing [in Amacan] is we’re sending a drilling rig toward that area. Hopefully, we will start drilling in Amacan by the next month or so,” Puno told reporters. He further added that the company expects a development of 7o to 100 MW at the prospect.
The Amacan geothermal exploration site was awarded to EDC following a competitive selection process by the Department of Energy back in 2017. The company has since conducted surface exploration studies at the site, with an RFP for a feasibility study announced back in 2022. The Amacan site is one of the greenfield sites mentioned in EDC’s five-year geothermal capacity expansion plan.
Should the Amacan prospect be developed successfully, it will be the second such facility in Mindanao after the Mount Apo geothermal facility, which has been operating since 1997. In 2022, the Mount Apo facility was expanded with a 3.6-MW binary power unit.
In an earlier statement, Jerome Cainglet, President and CEO of EDC, stated that the project would require about $6 million of investment per MW. Moreover, the company is hoping to determine if the project is commercially feasible by 2026. If the decision is to proceed with development, another two to three years will be needed for construction.
With PGPC also doing exploration drilling at the Mt. Malinao geothermal prospect in Luzon, development of greenfield sites in the Philippines has again started gaining momentum. First Gen also has set their sights on developing projects internationally, with a milestone agreement signed recently with Sinar Mas, one of the largest conglomerates in Indonesia.
Source: Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard, and Inquirer
