SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. said its planned 31 battery energy storage system (BESS) projects with a total capacity of 1,000 megawatts (MW) are 32 percent complete in their sites in Pangasinan, Bataan, Cebu and Davao.
BESS aims to supply ancillary energy services to the grid which serves as the available generating capacity for dispatch to meet contingency reserve requirements when a generating unit trips or a transmission interconnection problem occurs.
These installations will help maintain the integrity of the power grid especially since it is currently highly susceptible to automatic load shedding and frequency violations due to the expected of entry of 34.8 gigawatts in variable renewable capacities by 2040.
SMC Global Power also has BESS projects located in Albay, Batangas, Bulacan, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, La Union, Laguna, Metro Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Bohol, Iloilo, Leyte, Davao del Norte and Misamis Oriental.
Last March, the firm completed the 20 MW first phase BESS in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental and is waiting for a certificate from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and schedule of inspection of the Energy Regulatory Commission prior to commercial operation.
Twelve more sites are eyed for additional BESS with a capacity of 400 to 500 MW.
Six sites with a total capacity of 190 MW hours (MWh) will be fully completed within the year until the first quarter of 2021 while 25 sites with a total capacity of 810 MWh will be operational from the second quarter to fourth quarter of next year.
