Meralco, Hitachi set up 2-MW battery-energy storage system

By Lenie Lectura -September 30, 2019
from Business Mirror

THE Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and Japanese multinational conglomerate Hitachi Ltd. have put up a 2-megawatt (MW) battery-energy storage system (BESS) in Bulacan.

“That’s a pilot. From a DU [distribution utility] perspective, we want to understand how battery-energy storage really works and how it will help the network,” said Meralco President Ray Espinosa.

“We’re grateful to Hitachi for providing us 2 MW of battery storage energy system that would acquaint our network engineers on how we can use this energy storage system as a way of stabilizing renewables,” he added.

Hitachi provided Meralco with 2,300 battery cells that can deliver 2 MW of power intermittently.

BESS’ are a subset of energy storage Systems that can store energy to be consumed at a later time.

“As you know, renewables are not that stable in a sense that they can fluctuate within the day, especially solar, so the storage system is very important to provide that stability.”

The Meralco official further described the BESS’ as “modular, movable and in 40 feet containers.”

Meralco and Hitachi inaugurated early this month the San Rafael Battery Energy Storage System in Bulacan.