- PRESS RELEASE -
AES recently broke ground on its battery-based energy storage array at Masinloc in Zambales, which will provide 10 MW of interconnected capacity and enhance the reliability of the Luzon grid. The Masinloc Array will use the Advancion® energy storage solution, and is expected to be completed by mid-2016. It will be one of the first advanced energy storage installations in South East Asia and among the largest in all of Asia.
AES Asia Strategic Business Unit President, Marty Crotty, and AES Philippines Managing Director, Neeraj Bhat, led the groundbreaking ceremony on December 15, 2015. Zambales Provincial Governor, Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr., several local government officials, and representatives from the Department of Energy and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) participated in the groundbreaking.
“AES is pleased to bring this pioneering technology and application to the Philippines. We believe battery-based energy storage will play a critical role in tomorrow’s grid, helping to improve stability, lower total system costs, and incorporate higher volumes of renewable energy projects. We look forward to working with key stakeholders to demonstrate the value and capabilities of this technology,” Bhat said.
“Our province is proud to be the setting for the development of the first battery-based energy storage in the country. Its development will not only secure quality energy services for the people of Zambales and the rest of Luzon, but also contribute to the continued development of the province,” Governor Ebdane said.
The advanced energy storage project at Masinloc will strengthen the Luzon grid by providing fast response ancillary services like frequency regulation. This solution is especially valuable to island grids facing challenges in instantaneously matching supply and demand across a smaller pool of resources. Energy storage can perform this function more effectively than traditional grid resources, resulting in cost savings and lowering system-wide emissions.
AES is actively developing other energy storage facilities in the Philippines, including one in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental. According to Bhat, the Kabankalan project will improve the Visayas grid’s ability to incorporate the significant volume of solar power coming on-line in the region in early 2016.
AES is a leader in commercial energy storage solutions, which improve flexibility and reliability of the power system, and provide customers with a complete alternative to traditional peaking power plants. AES’ fourth generation Advancion solution is among the most proven energy storage platforms available, resulting from AES’ more than eight years of commercial experience operating grid-connected energy storage. AES has 384 MW of interconnected energy storage, equivalent to 768 MW of flexible resource, in operation, construction or late stage development in six countries.
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About AES Philippines
AES Philippines is a subsidiary of The AES Corporation. In the Philippines, AES owns and operates the 630-megawatt Masinloc coal-fired thermal power plant in the province of Zambales. Since entering the country via the Masinloc acquisition in 2008, AES continues to demonstrate its commitment to support the sustainable development of the Philippines.
About AES
The AES Corporation (NYSE: AES) is a Fortune 200 global power company. We provide affordable, sustainable energy to 18 countries through our diverse portfolio of distribution businesses as well as thermal and renewable generation facilities. Our workforce of 18,500 people is committed to operational excellence and meeting the world’s changing power needs. Our 2014 revenues were $17 billion and we own and manage $39 billion in total assets. To learn more, please visit www.aes.com. Follow AES on Twitter @TheAESCorp.
