Battery storage project in Naga breaks ground

Local

POWER stability across Central Visayas is expected to get an additional buffer as new battery storage projects move to reinforce grid reserves amid rising demand and renewable energy integration.

Aboitiz Power Corporation has broken ground on a 60-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) inside the Naga Power Plant Complex in Barangay Colon, shifting the site further away from fossil-fuel generation and into grid support infrastructure.

The facility sits within the former Naga power complex acquired from the National Power Corporation (Napocor) in 2018.

Its coal and diesel units have already been decommissioned and dismantled as part of the company’s energy transition program.

AboitizPower said the standalone system will store excess electricity and dispatch it when demand spikes or supply drops, helping stabilize frequency and maintain reserve capacity for the Visayas grid.

AboitizPower Transition Business Group President Celso C. Caballero III described the project as part of a broader modernization push for the energy system.

“Naga BESS represents transformation in action. It reflects our efforts to strengthen the energy system by investing in people, infrastructure, and technology, to enhance flexibility, resilience, and reliability of the grid,” Caballero said.

Department of Energy (DOE) said battery systems are becoming essential as renewable energy penetration increases, particularly solar, which fluctuates within short time intervals.

DOE Undersecretary Mario Marasigan said the Visayas grid will require expanded support capacity to ensure reliable electricity supply as demand continues to grow.

He added that storage systems are critical for stabilizing supply transfers between islands and managing variable generation in real time.

Marasigan said the major islands in the Visayas continue to require large electricity supply as demand rises with economic growth.

He noted that rising supply also increases consumption, which strengthens the need for additional reserve capacity to support the grid.

He said battery energy storage systems and other supporting technologies now play a key role in stabilizing the Visayas grid.

He also pointed to the importance of reliable electricity for industrial users in Cebu, including data centers and business process outsourcing operations that depend on consistent power service.

Meanwhile, Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro said ensuring stable electricity supply is key to sustaining investments and daily economic activity across the province.

“We must also strengthen the systems that keep our homes, businesses, hospitals, schools, and industries running,” Baricuato said.

AboitizPower Transition Business Group Regional COO for Visayas Rhea Navarro said the Naga project is designed as a standalone storage facility and marks a distinct addition to the company’s Visayas portfolio.

AboitizPower Transition Business Group Regional COO for Visayas Rhea Navarro said the Naga BESS is a standalone battery energy storage system with a capacity of 60 megawatt-hour, noting that the Naga facility is “not attached to an operating plant” and will function independently.

She also explained how the battery energy storage system works, saying it charges when there is excess electricity in the grid and releases stored energy during periods of low supply or high demand.

“It will be operational on its own… You charge it in the grid during the time when there’s an excessive supply. You charge it there, and then you release the energy during the periods when the supply is low and the demand is high,” Navarro said.

DOE also noted that additional battery and alternative energy support technologies are being pursued in other parts of the Visayas, including Negros, where renewable integration continues to increase balancing requirements.

The Naga BESS is scheduled for commercial operations by October 2027 and will provide 60 megawatts of capacity.(MyTVCebu)