SN Aboitiz Power Corp. plans to put up more battery energy storage systems across the company’s hydropower facilities, an executive said over the weekend.
“We’re looking at putting batteries also in Ambuklao…We’re looking at putting batteries in our existing facilities,” SNAP vice president and chief business development officer Jason Soberano said at the sidelines of The Future Energy Show Philippines forum.
“That’s our strategy as of the moment because today’s regulatory regime is challenging. We want to take advantage of our existing facilities and cost savings by integrating the new facilities,” Soberano said.
SNAP owns and operates the 105-megawatt Ambuklao and 140-MW Binga hydroelectric power plants in Benguet; the 388-MW Magat hydroelectric power plant on the borders of Isabela and Ifugao; and the 8.5-MW Maris hydroelectric power plant in Isabela.
Soberano said SN Aboitiz Power-Magat is building a 24-MW battery energy storage system project in Ramon, Isabela.
“Construction is ongoing. So Magat is ongoing, with 24-MW, 32 megawatt-hours capacity, which we expect to be done by the first quarter of next year,” he said.
The company is also working on some requirements of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines to connect to the grid smoothly.
SNAP expects the Magat BESS project to begin commercial operations in the first half of 2024.
“We’re being cognizant of the risks because there might be supply risks, supply chain risks because of the [Ukraine-Russia] war. So there might be delays and even the upcoming recession in China because of their economic situation,” said Soberano.
He said the Magat BESS would be used for ancillary services, and SNAP was waiting for the competitive selection process of NGCP on ancillary reserves.
SNAP, a joint venture between Scatec of Norway and Aboitiz Power Corp., secured the engineering, procurement and construction contract and financing for the Magat BESS project.
“There are new, innovative and complementary technologies that will help facilitate the country’s energy transition. This is where SNAP can once again contribute. We are excited and optimistic about the new paths [the Magat BESS project] opens up for us,” SNAP president and chief executive Joseph Yu said earlier.
SNAP took over the ownership and operations of the Magat hydropower plant on April 26, 2007, following a successful bid under the government’s privatization program.
The facility, which has a nameplate capacity of 360 MW and a maximum capacity of 388 MW, underwent half-life refurbishment in 2014.