Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. said it plans to start the commercial operations of a 178.72-megawatt solar power project in Mariveles, Bataan next year.
The project is part of the company’s efforts to develop more renewable energy projects and provide reliable power nationwide while helping push the country towards a clean energy future.
Data from the Department of Energy showed that SMC subsidiary SMC Global Light and Power Corp. is putting up the Lucanin solar project in Barangay Lucanin, Mariveles.
The DOE said it issued the notice to proceed to its contractor. The project is set to start testing and commissioning in September 2023. The project completion is expected by October 2023.
“SMC Global Power fully supports the government’s thrust in powering the nation as we continue to pursue business and expansion strategies that are aligned with our national and regional energy policies and needs—demonstrating our commitment to conduct business operations in a socially and environmentally responsible manner,” SMC president Ramon Ang said earlier.
Ang said despite the global fuel cost and supply woes brought on by the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, SMC’s power unit remained on track with plans to minimize the country’s dependence on coal as part of the conglomerate’s more extensive sustainability goals.
“Right now, we’re facing an unprecedented situation, but even as we work to maintain reliable and sufficient supply throughout this crisis, we are also very much focused on continuing our transition to cleaner and renewable fuel sources without compromising on supply, quality and affordability,” Ang said.
Ang said SMC and its operating units were working on a group-wide sustainability roadmap that would include major targets for its power business to achieve a sustainable energy future.
He said SMC Global was also developing battery energy storage system facilities nationwide—the largest initiative of its kind in Southeast Asia.
SMCGP expects to bring total battery capacity to 700 megawatt-hours by the end of 2022 1,000 MWh by end-2023, once all 32 BESS facilities come online. This is the first and largest battery network in the Philippines.
Ang said the BESS network would be vital to ensuring reliable power supply nationwide, even in far-off areas. It is designed to minimize wastage by storing and redistributing excess capacity to ensure even underserved regions could have the same sufficient, reliable electricity enjoyed by larger cities.
“Bringing electricity to power-challenged regions will help uplift the lives of more Filipinos who will finally have access not just to basic electricity but also opportunities and jobs brought about by electrification,” he said.
SMCGP’s BESS facilities are crucial to the country’s broader use of renewable energy.
“Currently, the main challenge of renewables is intermittence, or the unreliable nature of renewable sources such as wind, solar and hydropower. Battery technology will enable renewable capacity to be stored, ready to be deployed even when solar or wind farms or hydropower plants are down,” he said.