BrightNight, ACEN Announce US $1.2B Capital Partnership In Philippines

BrightNight Australia Links Mortlake Energy Hub To National Grid

BrightNight, a global renewable power producer and a clean and dispatchable solutions provider, announced its partnership with ACEN Corporation (ACEN), the leading Phillippines based industrial and energy group. This partnership was undertaken to advance the development, construction, and operation of Bright Night’s initial 1.0 GW renewable power portfolio in the Philippines.

Through this newly formed partnership they plan to develop and construct 1 GWac of renewable power projects in the Philippines with an estimated capital deployment of US$1.2b over the next 5 years. This is BrightNight and ACEN’s second partnership and builds on the success of the one established in India in March 2023.

BrightNight brought its advanced Philippines portfolio, experienced local team led by Michael Yamazoe, and differentiated capabilities, including its AI-driven design and optimization software platform PowerAlpha®, to build and operate large scale, multi-technology renewable power plants. This project is being developed across the Asia Pacific region, ACEN has currently established its presence in its core market, the Philippines, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and India with 4.8 GW of attributable renewable capacity. ACEN aspires to reach 20 GW in renewables capacity by 2030.

“ACEN’s leadership in the Philippines’ renewables sector is unparalleled, and we are honored they have chosen to form a partnership with us to develop our portfolio of multi-tech and industry-leading next generation renewable solutions in their home market,” BrightNight CEO Martin Hermann said. “They have demonstrated success in scaling and operating large fleets of renewable assets through strategic partnerships across the region, and our existing India partnership is already delivering tremendous value. This is another successful step in our expanding relationship.”

ACEN’s investment provided BrightNight with additional resources to fund its Philippines build-out and long-term growth in one of the fastest-growing markets in Asia. In addition, ACEN will provide its strong domestic presence, partnership network, and expertise across the regional energy value chain.

Patrice Clausse, ACEN Group Chief Investment Officer, said, “We deeply value our relationship with BrightNight and share a common goal of building higher capacity, hybridized renewable power solutions that deliver safe, affordable, reliable, and clean power. Our existing India partnership is a strong demonstration of this model, where we are building projects and winning customers.”

BrightNight in APAC and the Philippines

BrightNight has developed a global portfolio of 37 GW across the US and Asia Pacific. In APAC, BrightNight has built a team of 70 with a 3 GW portfolio across India and South Asia, Australia, and the Philippines.

Led by APAC President and Managing Director Jerome Ortiz, BrightNight APAC is developing around the clock, renewable solutions in some of the fastest growing power markets in the world. Through its already established partnership with ACEN in India, BrightNight is currently executing its first 100 MW hybrid C&I project in Maharashtra, and recently won a 120 MW capacity from a tender held by NHPC Limited for flexible and dispatchable renewable energy with committed peak product, from one of its 350 MW wind, solar and BESS project in Rajasthan.

In the Philippines, the BrightNight team is led by industry veteran Michael Yamazoe with deep experience in the country building and operating renewable projects. He has been BrightNight’s Country Head since 2021, and he has built a team and the foundations for BrightNight’s fast expansion in the Philippines. Michael and his team will focus on building out and expanding the current 1.0 GW differentiated solar and storage portfolio.