Global companies partner for sustainable renewable energy in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Amber Kinetics, the sole provider of long-duration flywheel energy storage, has recently inked a deal with Aboitiz Power Corporation, IKS Co., Ltd and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., to form a partnership to help optimize renewable energy development in the Philippines and provide systems for energy cost savings and grid stability.

“We are the only manufacturer of long-duration kinetic energy storage systems (KESS) that enables extending the duration and efficiency of flywheels from minutes to hours. This system is safe, sustainable and reliable in storing energy, especially those that have been generated from renewable sources. Our collaboration with Aboitiz, IKS and Kawasaki will enable safe and efficient production and delivery of energy from renewable sources,” Ed Chua, CEO of Amber Kinetics, said.

Flywheel systems store kinetic energy (i.e., energy in motion) in the form of a spinning mass such as rotors. This technology allows consistent energy delivery despite irregular input and frequent cycling, which makes it perfect for renewable energy sources. The Amber Kinetics flywheel is the first commercialized four-hour discharge, long-duration KESS solution powered by advanced technology that stores 32kWh of energy in a two-ton steel rotor. 

Amber Kinetics has engineered a flywheel to meet the energy storage needs of the modern grid and its operation has more than a million hours to date. Transitioning from fossil fuels to sustainable energy can be made possible by the adequate power stored and supplied through Amber Kinetics’ flywheel capacity to cycle repeatedly for more than 20 years without degradation.

This technology, coupled with the need to fill the country’s growing energy needs prompted these global enterprises to work together.

“With this consortium, the Philippines and Japan can make a significant impact on our transition towards a more sustainable future.  Our partnerships represent a powerful alliance that will drive technological innovation and harness the power of renewable energy to create a brighter future for generations to come,” Sabin Aboitiz, president and CEO of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, said.

The partnership intends to further explore developing technologies and integrated systems for potential projects for energy efficiency and sustainability not only in the Philippines but also in Japan, ASEAN and Australia.

“Each partner has an expertise that, when combined together, can come up with a more effective and sustainable solution. Kawasaki has the virtual synchronous generator (VSG) technology which would need a flywheel energy storage system that we can provide. Meanwhile, IKS as a developer of Power Control System (PCS) can co-develop the integrated system for device connectivity. Aboitiz Power on the other hand shall be providing the system with renewable power sources,” Chua said.

The cooperation is expected to start in June 2023. Watch this video to know more about Amber Kinetics.