Shell putting up an integrated energy system

MANILA, Philippines — Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. (PSPC) is putting up an integrated energy system composed of solar, natural gas and battery energy storage to power up its refinery in Tabangao, Batangas and reduce the carbon intensity of its operations.

PSPC is adding a solar farm and a battery energy storage system (BESS) to its gas-fired power plant, which will serve the full electricity requirement of the refinery that produces 110,000 barrel per day.

The oil firm said the solar plant would produce approximately 2,400 megawatt-hours (MWh) of power annually enough energy to power more than 850 homes, roughly the size of a small barangay.

Meanwhile, the BESS component will generate three MWh of power.

Work on the solar farm is expected to start next month, while installation of the battery system is scheduled in the second quarter of 2020.

Once completed, PSPC’s Tabangao refinery will earn the distinction of being the first oil refinery with an industrial-scale solar farm in the Philippines and one of the largest battery storage projects in Southeast Asia.

PSPC said the integrated system would improve the energy efficiency of its Tabangao Refinery, while enabling the export of its excess natural gas-generated power to the Luzon grid.

It also expects to offset some 8,760 tons of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to planting more than half a million trees.

“This integrated solution is the result of collaboration between Pilipinas Shell and Royal Dutch Shell’s (RDS) new energies business to showcase Shell’s aspiration to thrive in the energy transition, and at the same time demonstrate opportunities to unlock value between conventional and new energy systems,” PSPC president and Shell Philippines chairman Cesar Romero said.

He also said the integrated energy system of the Batangas refinery would effectively showcase its leadership in the use of cleaner energy technologies in the oil and gas industry.