SMC Global Power unit applies to link battery storage facility to grid

By Angelica Y. Yang – October 7, 2021 | 7:49 pm
from Business World

UNIVERSAL POWER Solutions, Inc. (UPSI), a unit of SMC Global Power Holdings Corp., has asked the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) for approval to link its 60-megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS) in Concepcion, Tarlac to the Luzon grid.

In a UPSI filing posted by the commission on its website, the company sought approval to invest P93.81 million in a dedicated transmission line connecting BESS project to a National Grid Corp. of the Philippines 69 kiloVolt (kV) substation.

Construction is expected to take around eight months.

“The dedicated facility project is the most cost-effective and viable option for the immediate connection of the Concepcion BESS,” the company said.

It added that the construction of the line is a prerequisite for the testing, commissioning and commercial operations of its BESS project, which aims to provide regulating reserves to the power grid.

The ERC said it has scheduled virtual hearings on the matter on Oct. 21 and Oct. 28.

The Energy department has said that UPSI is developing 43 committed power projects with an installed capacity of 1,500 MW in Luzon, as of the end of June, including the Concepcion BESS.

Committed projects are those that have obtained financial closing with their investors or bankers.