Siemens Gamesa starts construction of wind-plus-storage project in Puerto Galera

Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy SA is fast advancing on an innovative hybrid energy project in Puerto Galera on the island of Mindoro in the Philippines that will provide a stable electricity supply in a location with a weak link to the grid, reducing its dependence on diesel. 

The hybrid project, located in the Oriental Mindoro province, will combine an existing 16 MW wind power facility and a battery storage solution with an in-house central control system managing the energy produced at the plant. The supply and commissioning of the project is being carried out by Siemens Gamesa, with construction by a subsidiary of Berkeley Energy. 

The plant is expected to be in full operation in the second half of 2020, following the recent signing of a supply and five-year maintenance contract including the Siemens Gamesa Hybrid Plant Controller (HPC) system. The HPC system manages the power generated and stored at the plant and can fine-tune the wind turbines to optimize the entire plant’s performance such as wind forecasts and other factors. 

At present, the 16 MW wind power facility has been fully installed (using 8 Siemens Gamesa 2 MW turbines), and the 6 MW Gamesa Electric lithium battery storage system will be set up and commissioned in 2020. Currently an additional wind farm facility is also being negotiated, which would increase wind capacity by 10 MW pending the issuance of appropriate approvals from the Department of Energy (DoE) and other government agencies. 

The operation of the hybrid plant, which is subject to the relevant government permits, will be optimized thanks to the Energy Management Service (EMS) provided remotely by Siemens Gamesa technicians. The plant represents a significant technological advance towards making renewables an energy source that can be used on-demand.