Scatec and AboitizPower JV make final investment decision for battery energy storage project in the Philippines

SN Aboitiz Power Group (SNAP), a joint venture between Scatec and AboitizPower, has made the final investment decision for the 20 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) project at the Magat hydropower plant in Ramon, Isabela in the Philippines.  

The project is now making final preparations for construction start later in 2022, with a targeted commercial operation date in 2024, and marks the first venture between the country’s leading provider of renewable energy AboitizPower and Scatec, after the Norwegian renewable energy solutions provider acquired SN Power.

“We are excited about technologies like BESS that complement our ambition of bringing forth an RE-powered future, and continue to explore and assess other greenfield and brownfield opportunities beyond hydropower and floating solar. We also appreciate the support of our banking partners for project financing,” SNAP Group President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Yu said.

“This is an important milestone for the Scatec and Aboitiz partnership in the Philippines. It is the first step in our ambition to work on more initiatives here. The Philippines is an important market for Scatec, and we see several promising opportunities, especially in renewables,” Scatec’s General Manager for Southeast Asia, Torbjørn Elliot Kirkeby-Garstad said.

“This new development in our Magat facility is a significant step forward in our renewable energy ambitions over the next 10 years. We intend to take an active role in the Philippine renewable energy market but this is not our journey alone. We’re fortunate and proud to be working with Scatec, Hitachi, and our banking partners with whom we share the same aspiration for a more sustainable energy future,” AboitizPower President and CEO Emmanuel V. Rubio said.

SNAP signed the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreement with Hitachi Energy for the development of the Magat BESS project on March 25, 2022. The Bank of the Philippine Islands and China Banking Corporation will provide financing. The facility, which is expandable to 24 MW, will be capable of dispatching energy to the grid at times of peak demand and is expected to be used primarily for ancillary services.

Early-phase activities for the Magat BESS project were completed in 2021 as part of the pre-construction stage, which included site surveys and basic engineering design. The Philippine government has launched a Renewable Energy Roadmap with an ambition to increase reinstalled renewable capacity to at least 20 gigawatts by 2040. SN Power entered the Filipino market in 2005 and today, the joint venture SNAP is the largest private hydropower company in the country with 642 MW in operation and a median production of 810 GWh.

About SNAP:

SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP) is a joint venture of Scatec and Aboitiz Power Corporation (AP).

Scatec is a leading renewable energy solutions provider, accelerating access to reliable and affordable clean energy in high growth markets. As a long-term player, we develop, build, own and operate renewable energy plants, with 3.5 GW of installed capacity across four continents today. We are targeting 15 GW of renewable capacity to be in operation or under construction by the end of 2025, delivered by our 600 passionate employees who are driven by a common vision of ‘Improving our Future’. Scatec is headquartered in Oslo, Norway and listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ‘SCATC.’

AP is the holding company of the Philippines-based Aboitiz Group’s investments in power generation, distribution, and retail electricity services. It advances business and communities by providing reliable and ample power supply at a reasonable and competitive price, and with the least adverse effects on the environment and host communities.

SNAP owns and operates the Magat hydroelectric power plant which has a nameplate capacity of 360 MW and maximum capacity of 388 MW on the border of Isabela and Ifugao and the 8.5-MW Maris hydro in Isabela. It also owns and operates the 105-MW Ambuklao and 140-MW Binga hydroelectric power plants in Benguet. The non-power components such as dams, reservoirs, and spillways are owned, managed, and operated by the government.