Aboitiz hydro unit eyes expansion of battery storage facilities

MANILA  -The hydropower unit of Aboitiz Power Corp. is eyeing the development of three more battery storage facilities next year as it moves to increase its renewable energy capacity while ensuring that it can provide enough power to meet high demand.

SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP) president and chief executive Joseph Yu told reporters on Monday that the battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities would have a combined capacity of 100 megawatts (MW) and would be located in the provinces of Isabela and Benguet.

When demand is low, BESS facilities store excess power from renewable energy technologies whose supply is intermittent, or dependent on the weather. Stored supply is then tapped when demand for power increases.

“We have a very good team working on it and I’m very optimistic that they should be able to come up with something interesting,” Yu said.

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While SNAP will only come to a final investment decision for the planned BESS facilities in 2024, Yu noted that they may have to spend around $800,000 to $1 million per megawatt.

These projects are in addition to SNAP’s existing 24-MW Magat BESS that was completed earlier this year, according to Yu.

The company is currently awaiting the issuance of its certificate of compliance from the Energy Regulatory Commission for the P1.2-billion Magat BESS.

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A certificate of compliance will allow SNAP to officially start commercial operations for the project, which Yu explained would be used for the company’s participation in the reserve market.