First Balfour signed a contract from Energy Development Corporation (EDC) for its Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facilities in August 2023. With a combined capacity of 40 MW, the project involves three standalone BESS developments co-located with EDC’s existing geothermal power plants in Sorsogon, Leyte, and Negros Oriental.
First Balfour will undertake engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) works for the Balance of Plant (BOP) and Connection Assets (CA) of the BESS facilities. The Battery-based Energy Storage Systems will be supplied by the leading global provider of energy storage products and services, and optimization software for renewables and storage Fluence.
Fluence 150 MW/150 MWh Hazelwood Battery Storage System in Australia
On the tender team’s experience working on the project, Head of Estimating Raymond Orbase said, “As this is not the kind of project we typically bid for, the whole team had been very hands-on from conceptualization until contract closing. It was a new experience that I believe added to the competencies of our tender team.” Business Development (BD) Lead for BESS Ana Valeriano said that the collaboration between the BD and Estimating teams as well as with First Balfour’s support departments had been instrumental to winning the project—a first in the company’s portfolio. “I would like to recognize the hard work of all the members of our tender teams who, since November last year, have been diligently working and meeting tight deadlines to secure this contract,” she shared.
(Left) Site walkthrough and inspection at the Tongonan Power Plant in Leyte (Right); Kickoff meeting led by EDC’s Elmer Lintag (standing)
The three BESS projects will be led by Project Director Alfredo S. Maninang, Jr.
EDC’s BESS facilities will be used to store excess power from its geothermal plants and supply this stored energy when and where it is needed. By optimizing energy use, BESS technologies will help power the Philippines in its necessary transition to clean energy and are solid steps toward the realization of the First Philippine Holdings’ mission-purpose: to forge collaborative pathways for a decarbonized and regenerative future.
