Project Report: Aboitiz Power’s 30MW BESS in Cebu and its Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

Aboitiz Power has initiated the construction of a 30-megawatt (MW) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at its thermal power plant facility in Cebu, Philippines. This strategic project represents a significant step in modernizing the nation’s energy infrastructure and demonstrates a strong commitment to achieving several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to energy, infrastructure, sustainable communities, and climate action.

Direct Contributions to Sustainable Development Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

Enhancing Grid Stability and Reliability

• The 30MW BESS is designed to provide critical ancillary services to the national grid, improving power quality and voltage stability.
• By storing and rapidly deploying energy, the system helps balance supply and demand, reducing the risk of power interruptions and enhancing energy security for consumers and businesses.
• This directly supports SDG Target 7.1, which aims to ensure universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services.

Facilitating the Transition to Renewable Energy

• Energy storage is a key enabler for the large-scale integration of intermittent renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.
• The BESS will help manage the variability of renewable power generation, ensuring a consistent and reliable supply to the grid.
• This initiative is crucial for advancing SDG Target 7.2, which focuses on substantially increasing the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.

Advancements in SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Investment in Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure

• The construction of the BESS project is a direct investment in building quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, as outlined in SDG Target 9.1.
• Co-locating the BESS with an existing thermal plant creates a hybrid energy facility, showcasing an innovative approach to retrofitting existing industrial assets for greater efficiency and sustainability (SDG Target 9.4).

Fostering Technological Innovation

• The project introduces advanced energy storage technology to the Philippine energy sector, promoting innovation and building local capacity in modern energy systems.
• This technological upgrade is fundamental to creating a more efficient, flexible, and intelligent power grid capable of meeting future energy demands.

Supporting SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action)

Promoting Sustainable Urban Development

• A stable and reliable power grid is foundational for the development of sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11).
• By enhancing energy reliability in Cebu, the project supports essential urban services, economic activities, and the overall quality of life for residents.

Contribution to Climate Change Mitigation

• The BESS project is a vital component of climate action strategies (SDG 13).
• By enabling greater use of renewable energy, the system helps displace fossil fuel-based power generation, leading to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
• This aligns with national and global efforts to integrate climate change measures into policies and planning.

Conclusion: A Multi-faceted Impact on Sustainable Development

The Aboitiz Power 30MW BESS project in Cebu is a forward-looking initiative with impacts that extend across multiple Sustainable Development Goals. The primary contributions are summarized as follows:

1. SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy): By improving grid stability and enabling the integration of renewables.
2. SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): Through investment in modern, resilient, and innovative energy infrastructure.
3. SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): By providing the reliable energy foundation necessary for sustainable urban growth.
4. SDG 13 (Climate Action): By directly supporting the transition away from fossil fuels and reducing the carbon footprint of the energy sector.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The article on the Aboitiz Power BESS project in the Philippines connects to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by focusing on the development of modern and resilient energy infrastructure.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  This is the most directly related SDG. The construction of a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is a critical step towards modernizing the energy grid. BESS technology helps ensure a stable and reliable power supply, which is a cornerstone of affordable and modern energy. Furthermore, these systems are essential for integrating intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind, thereby promoting cleaner energy.

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

  The project involves building new, innovative energy infrastructure. The “30MW hybrid battery energy storage system (BESS)” represents an investment in resilient and sustainable infrastructure, which is a key aspect of SDG 9. This technology enhances the grid’s capacity and stability, supporting industrial activities and economic development in Cebu.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  A reliable power grid is fundamental for the functioning of sustainable cities. By improving the stability of the energy supply in Cebu, the project contributes to making urban infrastructure more resilient. This is particularly important in regions like the Philippines that are prone to natural disasters, as a stable grid enhances a city’s overall resilience.

• SDG 13: Climate Action

  Energy storage systems like the BESS are key enablers for climate action. By facilitating the integration of a higher share of renewable energy into the grid, they help reduce dependence on fossil fuels. Even when co-located with a thermal plant, a BESS can improve efficiency and reduce the need for carbon-intensive peaking power plants, thus contributing to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the project’s description, several specific SDG targets can be identified:

1. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Target 7.1: By 2030, ensure universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy services. The BESS project directly supports this by enhancing the reliability of the power grid in Cebu.
   • Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix. BESS technology is a critical enabler for this target as it solves the intermittency issue of renewables, allowing more to be added to the grid.
   • Target 7.a: By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology… and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology. The project itself is an investment in clean energy technology (energy storage).

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… to support economic development and human well-being. The 30MW BESS is a direct investment in creating more reliable and resilient energy infrastructure.
   • Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable… with greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies. A BESS is a clean technology that upgrades existing energy infrastructure.

3. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.b: By 2020, substantially increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards… resilience to disasters… A resilient power grid, supported by the BESS, is crucial for a city’s overall disaster resilience plan.

4. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.2: Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning. This project aligns with national and global strategies to decarbonize the power sector as a measure against climate change.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article is concise but provides a key quantitative indicator that can be used to measure progress.

• The primary indicator mentioned in the article is the capacity of the project: “a 30MW hybrid battery energy storage system (BESS).”
• This figure (30MW) serves as a direct, measurable indicator of new investment and capacity addition to resilient and clean energy infrastructure. It can be used as a proxy to measure progress towards several targets:
  • For Target 7.a and Target 9.1, the “30MW” represents a tangible addition to clean energy and resilient infrastructure.
  • For Target 7.2, this 30MW of storage capacity can be seen as an enabling factor. Progress could be measured by the amount of new renewable energy (in MW) that this BESS allows to be integrated into the grid.
• While the article does not provide data for official SDG indicators like “renewable energy share” (Indicator 7.2.1) or “investment flows” (Indicator 7.a.1), the project’s existence and its 30MW capacity are concrete data points demonstrating action and progress on the ground.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: energy-storage.news