Finnish technology group Wartsila has landed an engineering, procurement and construction contract to supply a barge-mounted energy storage system to Therma Marine for deployment offshore the Philippines. Therma Marine, a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corporation, will place Wartsila’s 54 megawatt/32 MWh barge next to its existing 100-MW thermal power barge in the municipality of Maco in the province of Davao de Oro to provide greater flexibility and meet reserve capacity agreements, The Philippines’ entrance into the floating energy storage market signals the importance of flexible assets for meeting renewable energy targets, especially in the region. Floating power barges have become increasingly popular in the Philippines for scaling up renewable energy generating capacity because of its high population density, limited land availability and ability to utilise the many existing hydropower plants.
