SN Aboitiz Power (SNAP), the 50/50 joint venture between Aboitiz Power Corporation and Norway-based Scatec ASA, has started commercial operations of a new 16-megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system (BESS) at the Magat Hydroelectric Power Plant.

The Magat BESS 2 project, which broke ground in February 2025, is connected to the Magat hydroelectric plant and is designed to provide ancillary services that help maintain grid frequency and reliability.

Scatec said Magat BESS 2 is a one-hour battery system, meaning it can deliver its full 16-MW output for one hour, equivalent to 16 megawatt-hours (MWh) of storage. The company said one-hour batteries are well suited for ancillary services because their fast response times help stabilize grid frequency and support system reliability.

The new facility builds on the existing 24-MW/24-MWh battery system at Magat, which has been operating since 2024. With Magat BESS 2 now online, SN Aboitiz Power has a total of 40 MWh of battery storage capacity in operation at the site.

“Starting commercial operation of Magat BESS 2 further strengthens our position within battery storage and ancillary services in the Philippines,” Scatec Chief Executive Officer Terje Pilskog said. “We now have 40 MWh operating battery capacity and another 120 MWh under construction.” 

“The project builds on the successful operating track record of the existing Magat battery system and demonstrates our ability to develop flexible energy infrastructure supporting grid reliability and renewable energy integration,” he added.

Scatec said ancillary services are expected to become increasingly important in the Philippines as renewable energy penetration rises in line with the government’s clean energy targets.

The Magat Hydroelectric Power Plant is one of the Philippines’ largest hydropower facilities, with a total installed capacity of 360 MW. It is located along the Magat River system in northern Luzon, spanning the provinces of Ramon, Isabela and Alfonso Lista, Ifugao. 

The complex has long served as a key renewable baseload and peaking power source for the Luzon grid, and is increasingly being integrated with battery storage and other flexibility solutions to support rising solar and wind penetration.

The new battery storage addition comes as SNAP pursues broader upgrades for the Magat complex with plans to increase the hydro plant’s capacity by 20 MW–from 360 MW to 380 MW–and develop a 97-MW pumped-storage hydropower facility.

Will projects like these be enough to strengthen grid reliability as the Philippines adds more renewable energy capacity?

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