St Baker signs deals with Philippines to turbo-charge renewable energy rollout

Companies backed by the St Baker Energy Innovation Fund will play a significant role in the deployment of renewable energy and electricity storage initiatives in the Philippines, with an ambitious agreement signed with the Philippines Government today.

The agreement will deliver a partnership to rapidly scale the size of a lithium iron phosphate battery factory in the Philippines, build the country’s first major, battery-backed rooftop solar demonstration project, and roll out battery storage initiatives.

The President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, and St Baker Energy Innovation Fund founder Trevor St Baker, AO, today witnessed three memoranda of understanding signed between StBEIF companies and the Philippines Government in Melbourne.

Under the agreements, the StBEIF-backed StB Gigafactory will examine the feasibility of expanding the annual output of the soon-to-be-opened factory, a $10million lithium iron phosphate battery manufacturing plant in New Clark City.

The StB Gigafactory will also be looking to export to Australia, the US and the ASEAN region, resulting in the Philippines playing a prominent role in the global battery industry.

Another StBEIF-backed company, Pure EV, will examine developing electric vehicle transportation and fast charging infrastructure in the New Clark City region in conjunction with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BDCA), a government agency responsible for developing former military reservations in the Philippines.

A third StBEIF-backed company, Energy DeCarb, will collaborate with the BCDA to explore providing the first demonstration of large battery-backed rooftop solar installations in the Philippines. The solar panels and batteries will be installed on factory roofs and the sports stadium in New Clark City.

Mr St Baker told the Philippine Business Forum at the Ritz Carlton Hotel today that it was a significant occasion “where we are furthering the strong collaborative efforts between our two countries towards a sustainable future”.

“Together, we are not just building factories or installing solar panels and batteries; we are laying the groundwork for a sustainable and prosperous future in both our countries,” Mr St Baker said.

“Let us continue to innovate, collaborate, and strive for excellence as we embark on this transformative journey together.” Mr St Baker said that significant progress had been made on the StB GigaFactory.

“We anticipate the first battery production runs to commence between May and August, with full commercial operation and supply expected locally and for export to Australia by October 2024,” he said.

“This operation is paving the way for the Philippines to assume a prominent role in the global battery industry. It will provide high value jobs in the Philippines.”

StBEIF is currently developing two ready-built factories in a $10 million commitment capable of producing the equivalent of 600MWh or about 15,000 EV batteries a year.

Under the MoU with the Philippine Government, the factory’s annual capacity could rise to 2GWh in the next six years.

Mr St Baker said in parallel with the factory’s development, another of the St Baker Energy Innovation Fund’s investee companies, Energy DeCarb, would collaborate with the BCDA to assess the feasibility of installing solar panels on factory roofs and the stadium in New Clark City.

This would be the first demonstration of large battery-backed rooftop solar in the Philippines.

“This initiative underscores our dedication to not only manufacturing sustainable energy solutions but also actively contributing to the renewable energy infrastructure of the Philippines,’’ Mr St Baker said.

The MoU between Pure-EVs and the Philippines Government will see Pure-EVs provide the BCDA with a technical and commercial feasibility report for the implementation of electric vehicle public transport deployment in BCDA areas alongside fast charging infrastructure.

The project aims to create a model for other areas, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and, by providing fast charging infrastructure, further encourage the takeup of electric vehicles.

Pure-EVs is the pioneer investment of the St Baker Energy Innovation Fund in the Philippines.

It is dedicated to designing, assembling, and operating fully sustainable cost-effective e-Mobility transportation.