Numbers are initial estimates. Verify with lenders and financial advisor before committing.
Equity Scenarios
Speculative (No Pre-Lease)
Equity Required
Equity Check
Hard to finance; lenders need anchor tenant proof
50% Pre-Leased
Equity Required
Equity Check
Bankable with right structure
70%+ Pre-Leased
Equity Required
Equity Check
Best terms; consider mezz layer
Risk Register
Capital Notes
Action Tracker
Action
Owner
Priority
Status
Due
Key Contacts
No contacts yet — add your first stakeholder above.
Meeting Log
No meetings logged yet.
⚡ Two scenarios modelled: Scenario A — Renewable Stack (if off-site RE is feasible) and Scenario B — Dedicated Substation (if 5-hectare land constraint limits on-site generation). Both can be combined.
🏗️ Land Position — 5 Ha Primary + 10 Ha Secondary (1km away)
Site A — Primary (5 ha)
Data center facility. No room for on-site solar at scale (1 MW solar ≈ 1–2 ha). Reserve for buildings, cooling, battery storage, H₂ storage, and substation pad if needed.
Site B — Secondary (10 ha, ~1km away)
Game changer. 10 ha can host a 5–8 MW dedicated solar farm, battery storage, substation, or a combination. Private wire (1km) is short, low-cost, and straightforward to permit in the Philippines.
Scenario A: Site B solar + WtE offtake + H₂ backup
Scenario B: Substation at Site B + GEOP/REC clean energy
Scenario C: Hybrid — substation primary + Site B solar supplement
Scenario B — Dedicated Substation (If Land Is the Constraint)
What a Substation Does
A dedicated substation steps down high-voltage NGCP transmission power (69kV–230kV) to usable voltage for the data center. It is the standard power infrastructure for any facility drawing 20 MW+.
A 50–100 MW substation requires only 0.5–1.5 hectares of land — well within the 5-ha site if positioned efficiently. This preserves the rest of the site for the data center facility itself.
NGCP has a 230kV transmission line running through Central Luzon (the Tarlac–Isabela corridor). Connection feasibility and cost depend on distance to nearest tap point.
Making It "Green" Without On-Site Solar
A substation pulls from the grid — which is ~80% fossil today. To hit ESG commitments, you pair it with:
🟢 GEOP (Green Energy Option Program) — DOE program allowing large consumers to source power directly from RE generators. Sign a PPA with Tarlac solar or a WtE plant; power flows through the grid but is contractually "clean."
🟢 RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) — purchase certificates matched to RE generation elsewhere. Lower cost than direct RE but acceptable for many ESG frameworks.
🟢 Off-site solar lease — lease land separately (e.g. nearby agricultural land in Tarlac) for a dedicated solar farm connected via private line. No land used on the 5-ha site.
S1
Commission NGCP Feasibility Study — Site B as Substation Location
Submit Application for Grid Connection Study to NGCP. They assess nearest tap point, connection cost, and timeline. With Site B (10 ha, 1km away), the substation can be sited there — freeing the full 5 ha primary site for the facility. Power then runs via private line from Site B substation to Site A. Mandatory first step — start immediately, takes months. See NGCP tab for contacts.
S2
Secure GEOP Registration
Register under DOE's Green Energy Option Program. Facilities consuming 1 MW+ can source directly from accredited RE generators through the grid. Pairs the substation with contractual clean energy — the standard approach for data centers in the Philippines that can't build on-site solar.
S3
Deploy Solar on Site B (10 ha, 1km away) — Private Wire
With 10 ha at 1km, build a 5–8 MW dedicated solar farm on Site B. Connect via a private electrical line (1km = short, low-cost, straightforward to permit). This delivers real on-site RE generation without touching the 5 ha primary site. Remaining Site B land can hold battery storage or the substation. This is the strongest RE option available.
S4
WtE Offtake Agreement with New Clark City Plant
Even with a substation as primary power, the 12 MW WtE baseload from New Clark City can be purchased as a GEOP-compliant RE source. No on-site footprint needed — power flows through the grid under a bilateral contract with BCDA/ATD.
Scenario Comparison
Factor
Scenario A: Site B Solar + WtE + H₂
Scenario B: Substation at Site B + GEOP
Scenario C: Hybrid
Primary Site (5 ha) Use
100% facility
100% facility
100% facility
Site B (10 ha) Use
5–8 MW solar farm + BESS
Substation (~1 ha) + buffer land
Substation + solar on remaining land
Private Wire (1km)
Solar to main site
Substation to main site
Both
Power Reliability
Solar + WtE + H₂ fuel cells + grid backup
Highest — direct grid feed
Highest + RE supplement
RE Credentials
Genuine — actual solar + WtE
Contractual (GEOP/RECs)
Mixed — genuine solar + contractual balance
CapEx
Solar farm + BESS + H₂ logistics
Substation $5–15M + PPA costs
Both — highest CapEx, best resilience
Speed to Power
Solar PPA fast; H₂ is 2027+
Fastest — grid now
Grid now; solar adds later
NGCP Required
Backup only
Yes — connection study first
Yes
Best For
Strong ESG story, tech-forward
Speed to market, lowest complexity
Institutional investor grade
Medical Waste
All scenarios: keep separate — Joechem Environmental / Clean Leaf International (both Capas)
The Challenge
☀️ Solar
Abundant but Intermittent
~304 MW installed/planned in Tarlac. Excellent irradiance but only produces during daylight. Needs storage or backup for 24/7 data center loads.
🔥 WtE
Baseload but Small Scale
New Clark City WtE plant (12 MW) will be Philippines' first large-scale facility — right in Capas, Tarlac. Baseload capable but far below 100–300 MW data center needs alone.
⚡ Grid
Reliable but Dirty & Expensive
Philippines has 2nd highest power costs in SE Asia (~PHP 9.15/kWh). Coal-heavy and prone to March–May brownouts. Cannot anchor an ESG-positioned facility.
The Three-Layer Stack
01
Solar PV — Primary Electricity
Bilateral PPA with AboitizPower / PetroSolar. ~304 MW regional. Covers 50–60% of annual energy needs at lowest cost. PHP 4.5–6.0/kWh.
~304 MW
Regional
02
Waste-to-Energy — Baseload Anchor
New Clark City WtE plant (Capas, Tarlac). 600 MT/day MSW. 12 MW continuous, 24/7, 85–90% capacity factor. Classified as renewable under RA 9513 (7-yr ITH). BCDA landlord — engage now for power offtake agreement before commissioning.
12 MW
Baseload
03
Green Hydrogen (Drift Energy) — Diesel Replacement
Autonomous sailing vessels produce green H₂ at sea using underwater turbines + AEM electrolyzers. Delivered to Subic Bay (~80km), trucked to facility. Powers hydrogen fuel cells — replaces diesel backup generators entirely. Philippines qualifies as SIDS under Drift's IRENA mandate. First vessel: 2027.
150K kg
H₂/vessel/yr
04
Battery Storage + Grid — Buffer & Redundancy
BESS handles solar gap (overnight, clouds). Grid maintained as final backstop for 99.999% uptime SLA. DOE now mandates storage for all RE plants over 10 MW (Feb 2026). Grid = Tier IV redundancy only.
99.999%
Uptime SLA
Drift Energy — What They Actually Do
The Technology
British startup (Octopus Ventures-backed) building autonomous hydrofoil catamarans that sail tradewind corridors. Underwater turbines generate power as the vessel moves. Onboard AEM electrolyzers (Enapter partnership, Feb 2026) split seawater to produce green hydrogen stored in standard 40ft ISO containers.
AI routing algorithm ("Goldilocks") optimizes wind routes and times port returns when tanks are full. Not WtE — pure green hydrogen from wind + water.
Why It Fits Tarlac
🏝️ Philippines = SIDS-eligible. Drift is an IRENA SIDS Lighthouses Initiative partner. Philippines (7,600 islands) qualifies.
🚢 Subic Bay logistics viable. ~80km from Tarlac. Established truck routes. ISO container H₂ format = standard logistics.
🔋 Solves the diesel problem. H₂ fuel cells replace diesel generators — same instant-on backup, zero emissions.
📅 2027–2028 commercial timeline. Build the relationship and offtake structure now. Contact: ben@drift.energy
Medical Waste — Keep It Separate
⚠️ Current Philippine Law Prohibits Medical Waste in WtE
RA 8749 (Clean Air Act) bans incineration of biomedical waste. The New Clark City WtE plant is licensed for municipal solid waste only. Medical/clinical waste must be sterilized (autoclaved) separately. Legislation to change this is pending but not yet law.
Waste Type
WtE Eligible?
Treatment Path
Tarlac Partner
Municipal Solid Waste
Yes
Direct to WtE plant
ATD / Uttamenergy (New Clark City)
Medical / Clinical Waste
No
Autoclave → landfill residual
Joechem Environmental, Clean Leaf International (both Capas)
Hazardous Industrial
No
DENR-accredited TSD
Joechem Environmental (ISO 14001)
Biomass (rice husk, bagasse)
Separate
Biomass cogeneration
2M+ tons/yr Central Luzon surplus
Policy Tailwinds
DOE Data Center Energization Policy
Dedicated policy being issued March 2026 for stable, clean data center power. Supports 35% RE by 2030.
7-year income tax holiday + duty-free equipment. CREATE MORE stacks on top = potentially 14 years combined incentives.
Active
DOE Battery Storage Mandate
All RE plants over 10 MW must include energy storage (Feb 2026). Mandatory, not optional — budget accordingly.
Active
Clean Air Act Amendment — Medical Waste WtE
Bills in Congress to permit medical waste thermal treatment in modern WtE. Not yet law. Monitor closely.
Pending
Energy Action Steps
01
Engage BCDA — Power Offtake Agreement
BCDA is landlord + WtE champion + data center champion in one. Request meeting to explore data center siting adjacent to WtE plant and preferential offtake from the 12 MW facility before commissioning.
02
Negotiate Solar PPA with AboitizPower or PetroSolar
Both operate in Tarlac. Issue RFP for 10–50 MW long-term PPA at PHP 4.5–6.0/kWh. Under EPIRA, 1 MW+ facilities can source directly from any supplier.
03
Open Commercial Dialogue with Drift Energy
Contact CEO Ben Medland: ben@drift.energy. Frame as green H₂ offtake partnership for Tarlac (via Subic Bay). 2027–28 horizon. Drift is actively seeking SIDS/island nation deals — Philippines is a natural fit.
04
Procure Medical Waste Partners Now
Joechem Environmental and Clean Leaf International (both Capas, Tarlac) are DENR-accredited for medical/hazardous waste. Engage both for service agreements. Do not route medical waste through WtE under current law.
05
Commission H₂ Fuel Cell Feasibility Study
Engineer study on H₂ fuel cells vs diesel generators: capex comparison, H₂ storage requirements, Subic–Tarlac logistics cost, break-even timeline. Missing technical piece before committing to Drift Energy as supplier.