ACEN pilots battery energy storage system

MANILA, Philippines — AC Energy Corp. (ACEN) is piloting a battery energy storage system with its partner in Vietnam to boost the efficiency and reliability of renewable energy in the country.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange yesterday, ACEN said its joint venture with AMI Renewables, AMI AC Renewables, was awarded a $2.96 million grant by the US Consulate General, Ho Chi Minh City to develop the pilot utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) in Khanh Hoa Province.

The grant aims to support Vietnam’s efforts to expand renewable energy generation, as well as reduce the country’s reliance on coal, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Marie Damour said.

“This project aims to show how cutting-edge US energy storage technology can advance these goals and catalyze Vietnam’s transition to a clean energy economy for a climate-resilient future,” she said.

The Khanh Hoa Energy Storage project, which has a capacity of 15 megawatt-hours (MWh)/7.5 megawatts (MW), will be integrated into AMI AC Renewables’ 50-MW AMI Khanh Hoa solar farm, which started operating in April 2019.

“We’re delighted to be entrusted by the US Consulate General to pilot and spearhead battery energy storage systems in Vietnam. Our solar plant in Khanh Hoa province is an ideal place to demonstrate how energy storage can help Vietnam reach its full renewable energy potential.” AMI AC Renewables CEO Nguyen Nam Thang said.

The BESS project is expected to demonstrate the technical and economic capabilities of the energy storage technology and showcase how it can help maximize the efficiency and reliability of renewable energy, a burgeoning industry in Vietnam.

“Energy storage is the key to unlock the potential of renewables and is a vital component of the energy transition,” AC Energy International COO and AMI AC Renewables chairman Patrice Clausse said in a statement.

“We are very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead in harnessing this enabling technology, and together with AMI, we will aim to secure Vietnam’s renewable energy sources while helping the country achieve its sustainability goals,” he said.

AMI AC Renewables, a renewable energy platform in Vietnam, aims to build a renewable energy pipeline of 2,000 MW in Vietnam.

The joint venture currently has 80 MWp of solar capacity in operation in Khanh Hoa Province and Dak Lak Province. It is constructing the 252-MW wind farm in Quang Binh Province, one of the largest wind farms in Vietnam.

ACEN, the listed energy platform of the Ayala Group, has 2,600 MW of attributable capacity in the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, India and Australia. The company’s renewable share of capacity is at 80 percent, among the highest in the region.

It aims to be the largest listed renewables platform in Southeast Asia, with a goal of reaching 5,000 MW of renewables capacity by 2025.