San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp., a unit of San Miguel Corp. (SMC), said it expects to complete 32 battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a combined capacity of 1,000 megawatt-hours in January 2024.
“The 1,000 MW is near [completion], but the batteries that we are putting up is a big help. Because of that, we did not have brownouts. It helps stabilize [power supply]…I think next month, [it will be completed],” SMC president Ramon Ang said.
Ang said SMCGP was prepared to expand the BESS facilities, “if there is a demand.”
The BESS completion will make SMCGP one of the largest operators of BESS systems in the Philippines. Ang earlier said BESS could have a transformative impact on the economy and the power sector, as he welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the inauguration ceremonies.
“It is the first of its kind in the Philippines, and one of the largest integrated grid-scale battery energy storage projects in the world… Strategically located in various parts of the country, our BESS facilities can instantly increase peak system supply to meet our growing energy demands post pandemic,” Ang said.
He said that with BESS providing a significant portion of peak supply, baseload plants could run continuously and operate more efficiently, resulting in lower electricity costs for Filipino consumers.
“Equally important, our facilities can support the integration of over 5,000 MW of renewable power sources into the grid. They can store excess energy from traditional and renewable sources during periods of low demand and release it back into the grid when demand increases,” Ang said.
SMC’s Masinloc power facility pioneered the BESS technology, which enables the storage of energy both from renewable and non- renewable sources in 2016.
Ang pushed for BESS to bridge the energy security gap by storing excess energy when it is available and releasing it when demand is high. The company teamed up with ABB Philippines, Fluence and Wartsila as its engineering, procurement and construction contractors.
Samsung also provided San Miguel Global with advanced battery module technology that has no direct emissions in its operations.