SNAP to put up storage system

BY LENIE LECTURA – APRIL 5, 2022
from Business Mirror

SN Aboitiz Power Group (SNAP) will put up a 20-megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system (BESS) at its Magat hydroelectric power plant in Ramon, Isabela.

The joint venture between Scatec and Aboitiz Power signed the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with Hitachi Energy for the development of the BESS project last March 25. The Bank of the Philippine Islands and China Banking Corporation will provide financing.

Early-phase activities for the Magat BESS project were completed last year as part of the pre-construction stage, which included site surveys and basic engineering design. Construction is expected to commence this month, signaling the project’s progress toward its targeted commercial operation in the first quarter of 2024.

The facility, which is expandable to 24 MW, is expected to be used primarily for ancillary services.

This project marks the first venture between Aboitiz Power, and Scatec, after the Norwegian renewable energy solutions provider acquired SN Power.

This is an important milestone for the Scatec and Aboitiz partnership in the Philippines. It is the first step in our ambition to work on more initiatives here. The Philippines is an important market for Scatec, and we see several promising opportunities, especially in renewables, Scatec’s General Manager for Southeast Asia, Torbjørn Elliot Kirkeby-Garstad said.

SNAP Group President and CEO Joseph S. Yu said the BESS project complements the company’s ambition of bringing forth an renewable energy-powered future, and continue to explore and assess other greenfield and brownfield opportunities beyond hydropower and floating solar. “We also appreciate the support of our banking partners for project financing,” said Yu.

Aboitiz Power President and CEO Emmanuel V. Rubio, meanwhile, said the new development in the Magat facility is a significant step forward in its renewable energy ambitions over the next 10 years. “We intend to take an active role in the Philippine renewable energy market but this is not our journey alone. We’re fortunate and proud to be working with Scatec, Hitachi, and our banking partners with whom we share the same aspiration for a more sustainable energy future,” he said.

In connection with the BESS project, the upgrade of the 230-kilovolt Magat-Santiago transmission line has been included in the Transmission Development Plan of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. The upgrade will allow SNAP to continue adding capacities within the Magat area for additional projects. The Philippine government has launched a Renewable Energy Roadmap with a target of 35-percent share of renewable energy in the power generation mix by 2030.

Image credits: SNAP