Philippine power company SMC Global Power Holdings Corporation (SMCGPH) is ready to start operations of an initial 690 MW of battery energy storage system (BESS) facilities early this year.
SMC began unveiling its battery storage portfolio last year when it announced it was close to completing several projects nationwide. In 2021, Fluence—the energy storage specialist formed by Siemens AG and AES Corporation—commissioned 2×20 MW/20 MWh BESS in Kabankalan and Davao, out of a 470 MW/470 MWh energy storage portfolio it is building for SMCGPH. Finnish technology group Wartsila Corporation also announced the commissioning of 60 MW of energy storage systems under contracts with SMC Global Power. SMC Global is spending over USD1 billion to simultaneously build 31 new BESSs nationwide, with a rated capacity of 1,000 MW. These BESSs are a part of the firm’s plans to improve power quality throughout the grid system and facilitate integration of renewable power sources into the country’s generation portfolio. The developer plans to operationalise all 31 projects by 2022 year-end.