Sy pitches 10,000 MW battery network to ease Philippine power costs
Henry Sy Jr., chairman of the parent company of the grid operator NGCP, has proposed a large battery storage network to help the Philippines cope with high electricity prices and a possible El Niño in 2027.
Filipino businessman Henry Sy Jr. has proposed building a nationwide network of battery energy storage systems with a total capacity of 10,000 MW within about five years. Speaking at a media interaction, Sy, who chairs Synergy Grid & Development Philippines Inc., the parent company of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, said the country should take advantage of falling battery prices. He estimated the first 850 MW would cost about ₱59.5 billion, while the full network would cost around ₱700 billion, or about $11 billion.
NGCP said 850 MW is under way across six sites, including Laoag, Gamu, Santiago, Calatrava, Dumanjug and Ubay, and a further 1,000 MW across 12 sites is being assessed. Sy described the batteries as a bridge, noting they cannot generate electricity or replace dependable generation over long periods. The plan comes as the Department of Energy reports the average rate of ₱12.43 per kWh, the highest in Southeast Asia, and as El Niño could reduce hydropower output that depends on rainfall.
The Department of Energy projects peak electricity demand in the Philippines to reach 33,056 MW by 2035, up from 18,056 MW in 2024. Against that figure, 10,000 MW of batteries would equal roughly 30 percent of 2035 peak demand.