Aboitiz unit advances work on BESS project in Benguet

MANILA, Philippines — Aboitiz-backed SN Aboitiz Power Group (SNAP) has started the development of another battery energy storage system (BESS), this time a 40-megawatt (MW) facility in Itogon, Benguet.

The Binga BESS is SNAP’s first battery storage project in the Cordillera Administrative Region and the third in total.

“This project underscores our commitment to innovation, sustainability and the country’s energy transition,” SNAP president and CEO Joseph Yu said.

Located alongside SNAP’s Binga hydroelectric power plant, the BESS facility is targeted for completion in 2026.

Partners, lenders, host communities, stakeholders and other key officials, including Energy Assistant Secretary Mario Marasigan and Norway Ambassador Christian Halaas Lyster, were present at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“We deeply value the trust and support of this community, and we pledge to operate responsibly, sustainably and transparently,” SNAP COO Mike Hosillos said.

“From environmental stewardship to local job creation, we are committed to being not just a facility in this community but a true partner in its growth,” Hosillos said.

SNAP, a joint venture between Aboitiz Power Corp. and Norway’s Scatec, earlier signed a credit facility with Ayala-led Bank of the Philippine Islands and Sy-owned BDO Unibank Inc. for the Binga BESS.

Financial details were not immediately made available.

The construction of the Binga BESS came weeks after SNAP broke ground for the 16-MW Magat BESS Phase 2 in Isabela, also scheduled for completion next year.

The Magat BESS Phase 2 will be integrated into the existing 24-MW Magat BESS, which started commercial operations in January 2024, to operate as a single system.

Combined, the Isabela and Benguet projects will bring SNAP’s total battery storage capacity to 80 MW by 2026.

A BESS is a type of technology that stores electricity from power plants or the power grid for various applications such as grid stability, energy efficiency and renewable energy integration.

Battery storage facilities complement the government’s goal of expanding the share of renewables in the energy mix to 35 percent by 2030 from the current 22 percent.