San Miguel readies region’s largest battery energy storage system

Ramon S. Ang (File photo by LEO M. SABANGAN II / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Listed conglomerate San Miguel Corp. is offering battery energy storage system for about P2 to P3 per kilowatt-hour as part of its efforts to increase its portfolio of sustainable power supply solutions, its top executive said.

“Our selling price for battery is around P2 per kilowatt-hour only,” said SMC president and CEO Ramon Ang. “Even if I sell it at P3 [per kWh], they will still buy it.”

SMC, through its power arm SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. (SMCGP), completed in June this year 500 megawatt hours of battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities nationwide, which it said was the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia.

SMCGP earmarked more than $1 billion to finance the construction of more than 31 battery energy storage facilities to ensure “reliable power supply nationwide, even in far-off areas.”

Ang said SMCGP is yet to secure a license for the 500 MWh battery energy storage.

The SMC subsidiary was targeting increasing the total battery capacity to 700 MWh by year-end, and Ang told reporters they expect to scale it up further to 1,000 MWh “within the next few months.”

“We hope [to offer battery energy storage] before the peak season,” Ang said. Historical data from the government shows that electricity consumption peaks during the summer months from April to May.

Ang earlier expressed confidence in improving power quality and addressing the intermittent nature of renewables with the integration of battery storage into the power grid.

“We believe this, and other bridge technologies, will allow us to truly achieve a just and inclusive transition to a clean energy future that will not only sustain our economic recovery and growth, but will also benefit both our environment and many Filipinos,” he added.

Based on SMCGP’s website, its foray into battery energy storage technology commenced in 2018 with the acquisition of the 10-megawatt Masinloc Battery Energy Storage System from AES Philippines.