SMC power unit to switch on BESS facilities this year

BY LENIE LECTURA – JANUARY 4, 2022
from Business Mirror

The power arm of conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) will be able to switch on an initial 690 megawatts (MW) of its battery energy storage systems (BESS) facilities in early 2022.

“A total of 690MW of our 1,000MW BESS facilities nationwide will be operational early 2022. By year-end, we will have completed all 31 facilities for a total of 1,000MW in capacity,” SMC said in its social media post Tuesday.

The BESS, it added, will “help balance power throughout the grid and pave the way for a clean energy future.”

Earlier, SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. (SMCGP) said it has earmarked $1 billion to build 31 BESS facilities with a capacity of 1,000MW.

These are all part of the power firm’s plans to boost its renewables portfolio and reduce its carbon footprint while helping address the country’s need for reliable and affordable power, it said.

Last year, SMC announced that SMCGP is nearing completion on a number of BESS facilities it is building in locations across the country. Between 2021 and 2022, the company said it is targeting to complete a total of 31 BESS facilities that will not only improve power reliability throughout the country, but will also make way for the integration of some 3,000MW of intermittent renewable power into the grid.

SMC has also announced that it is building solar plants equipped with BESS facilities at around 10 locations. A liquefied natural gas plant and some hydroelectric power plants, are also in the pipeline as part of its move towards cleaner and renewable technologies.

The direction for SMCGP is to add more renewables into its power portfolio utilizing technologies that will significantly cut its carbon footprint while continuously addressing the country’s need for reliable and affordable power.

“SMC has always maintained a diverse power portfolio utilizing renewables and traditional, but proven technologies. This is to ensure that as we transition to cleaner sources, we will not undermine our commitment to meet the growing demand for affordable and reliable energy,” SMC President Ramon S. Ang said.