AboitizPower enters battery market

ABOITIZ Power Corp. (AboitizPower) has ventured into the battery market with planned battery energy storage systems (BESS) aimed at improving the delivery of electricity.

According to a statement on Thursday, the power subsidiary of the Aboitiz Group and its partners, Finnish manufacturing firm Wärtsilä and Aboitiz Construction Inc., started building its first BESS in its Therma Marine Inc. (TMI) facility in Maco town, Davao de Oro province.

“This will fortify TMI’s capability to support the Mindanao grid, especially during summer, when there is a limited supply of energy generated by hydropower plants due to lower water levels,” AboitizPower said.

It called the 49-megawatt BESS

”the first of its kind in the Philippines in terms of the hybrid concept,” which will serve as the model for future battery investments and hybrid renewable energy projects.

The BESS is a storage system capable of storing energy electrochemically. It can be connected to grids, a distribution system or end-user facility to supply power when needed.

The BESS is one of 12 projects with a combined 248-MW capacity that the company targets to develop in the next decade to regulate contingency reserves.

“Our foray into battery technology is a key component of our 10-year growth strategy, which ultimately aims to address the energy trilemma of energy security, energy equity and environmental sustainability,” AboitizPower President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Rubio said.

“The battery technology presents a great opportunity for AboitizPower to address concerns on the reliability, affordability, and sustainability of energy supply. By ensuring the stability of our grid, we are responding to the needs of our customers and communities, as well as supporting economic growth,” he added.

Besides venturing into BESS, AboitizPower also plans to further expand its Cleanergy portfolio to help build the country’s renewable energy (RE) market and contribute to the global RE goals.

AboitizPower shares rose by 55 centavos or 2.24 percent to close at P25.05 each on Thursday.