03-08-2025
Banpu Power preps US battery venture
SET-listed Banpu Power, the power generation arm of energy conglomerate Banpu Plc, is planning to venture into the battery energy storage system (BESS) business in the US, its second country for the business after Japan where it developed a battery farm.
The company proposed a BESS project to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which oversees and manages the electrical grid to serve most of the southern US state, said Issara Niropas, chief executive of Banpu Power.
He did not reveal the development cost, saying only that the project may be partially funded by a subsidy programme aimed at supporting BESS businesses.
"The global market for BESS is experiencing rapid growth, driven by increasing adoption of renewables and the need for grid stability and energy security," said Mr Issara.
The market growth is attributed to declining battery costs, technological advancements and supportive government policies, he said.
BESS plays an important role in storing electricity generated by the sun and wind, which are intermittent sources of energy generation dependent on weather conditions and seasons.
BESS can be developed via a battery farm to ensure a stable supply of clean energy.
Electricity demand in the US is rising, driven by the development of data centres and greater use of artificial intelligence technology.
BESS represents a new area of business for Banpu in the US after it embarked on on-shore gas production and distribution, as well as power generation businesses in the country.
Banpu Next, the energy technology arm of Banpu, said earlier it plans to expand the BESS business into Asia-Pacific nations.
Through its subsidiary Banpu Japan, Banpu Next operates a 58-megawatt-hour BESS farm in the city of Tono. The facility is designed to supply electricity to 5,800 houses.
Banpu owns 40 power plants, either in operation or under construction, both in and outside the US.
These plants have a combined electricity generation capacity of 3.6 gigawatts, based on the company's shareholding in energy firms developing these facilities.
