Prime Infra chief urges diversified energy mix to ease Philippines' power crunch

Prime Infra CEO Guillaume Lucci says the Philippines must add all forms of energy, not just renewables, to resolve its ongoing energy emergency.

In an interview at Prime Infra’s Pasay City headquarters, CEO Guillaume Lucci argued that the Philippines cannot wait for a pure renewable transition while facing a declared year-long energy emergency. The crisis, intensified after the February U.S.-Iran war shut the Strait of Hormuz and halted Gulf oil flows, left the archipelago with only 45 days of buffer fuel. Lucci’s “all-of-the-above” approach leverages the company’s assets such as the Malampaya gas field, the Wawa hydropower dam—completed in 2025 at a cost of 26.5 billion pesos—and a nascent waste-to-energy business, aiming to secure supply, keep prices down, and move toward decarbonisation simultaneously.

He also noted Prime Infra’s work in water and waste management, sectors where over half the population lacks safe drinking water. Backed by billionaire Enrique Razon Jr., the firm recently bought Colombia’s SierraCol Energy and is considering further overseas opportunities, with Lucci expressing particular interest in Africa. Despite bureaucratic hurdles and disaster risks, Lucci believes diversified, long-term infrastructure is essential for the country’s resilience.