GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 12 January) – The projected expansion of the mining industry in Mindanao will be the key driver of future energy demand on the island, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Secretary Leo Tereso Magno said.
Magno met with Energy Secretary Sharon Garin to discuss the need to ensure stable and sufficient power supply in Mindanao amid the area’s rising energy demand due to stronger economic activities.
Their meeting last week in Metro Manila focused on the need to secure sufficient firm baseload capacity, alongside accelerating the deployment of renewable energy solutions—such as solar power with battery energy storage systems—as complementary capacity to support grid requirements.
“Mindanao’s energy future must be secured through a balanced mix of firm baseload and renewable energy sources,” he said in a statement.
“As we anticipate the growth of our mining sector and other energy-intensive industries, we are committed to working closely with the Department of Energy and private sector developers to ensure that power planning for 2026–2028 remains responsive to demand and sustains the region’s investment momentum,” he added.
For 2026, Philex Mining Corp. had announced that its Silangan copper-gold project in Surigao del Norte is slated to have its first mineral production in March.
During the unveiling of the Silangan project in May 2025, the company showcased its grinding complex, which is composed of major equipment such as the SAG (Semi Autogenous Grinding) mill, mill liner handler and cyclone cluster pump at the process plant.
The process plant also includes copper leaching and gold leaching operation, with the copper leaching from run of mine ore to copper cathode production, making it the first of its kind in the country; thus, the final products are copper cathode and gold dore.
Another big-ticket mining venture in Mindanao, the $5.9 billion Tampakan copper-gold project of Sagittarius Mines, Inc. in South Cotabato, has yet to go into commercial production, hampered by the open-pit ban imposed by the provincial government since 2010.
Mining is one of the world’s most energy-intensive industries, especially during the processing phase.
During the Mindanao Clean Energy Forum 2025 in November last year, MinDA pushed for a 50:50 energy mix by 2030 amid the rising energy consumption in the island driven by its strong economic momentum and growing investment activities.
“Mindanao’s peak demand has risen from around 1,600MW in 2014 to nearly 2,600MW this year, reflecting a 1,000MW increase over the past 10 years,” MinDA Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro said.
As of 2024, the Mindanao power grid consists of 69% fossil fuels and 31% renewable energy, data from the Department of Energy -Mindanao Field Office showed. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
