Jul 18, 2023
Malaya Business Insight By Ruelle Castro
Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) said it has attracted an Australian electric battery maker to be the pioneer locator in its 200-hectare Filinvest Innovation Park-New Clark City (FIP-NCC) in Tarlac that it is developing together with the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA).
FLI sealed the agreement Monday with StBattalion for a five-year renewable lease of two ready-built factory (RBF) units each measuring 2,500 square meters (sq.m.).
StBattalion is investing $10 million for its planned lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant for solar power use in FIP-NCC, set for operations by next year.
The plant will have an initial output of 150 megawatt hours per year, rising to full first stage production capacity of 1.2 gigawatt hours by 2030, according to Trevor St Baker, StBattalion director.
“Filinvest Innovation Park-New Clark City warmly welcomes StBattalion as its very first locator. Their presence underscores the park’s vision as a leading sustainable business hub,” said Tristan Las Marias, FLI president.
St Baker said the company may expand the plant as global battery energy storage demand grows.
“We are excited to take advantage of the strategic location and growth prospects offered by FIP-NCC. With this partnership, we aim to revolutionize the Philippine transport industry through transportation powered by our high-quality EV batteries,” St Baker said in a statement.
Delfin Lorenzana, BCDA chairman, said the arrival of StBattalion at FIP shows that NCC, along with the whole of Clark, is primed for investments due to its strategic location, vast natural resources and large pool of human capital.
“We are excited to welcome StBattalion, whose goal is aligned with ours, which is to enable a sustainable and smart community that contributes to the nation’s social and economic growth,” Lorenzana added.
Francis Ceballos, industrial logistics head at FLI, said FIP-NCC’s RBF compound will feature 10 prime model RBF units to be built on a 40,000-sq.m. lot tailor-fit for this purpose.
“Each of the 2,500-square-meter prime RBF units is designed for logistics, e-commerce and light manufacturing locators,” he said.