ACEN secures certification for WESM trading standards

ACEN, the Ayala Group’s listed energy platform, has received full compliance certification from Australian advisory firm Intelligent Energy System (IES) – the first among Philippine firms – for its adherence to the standards of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

ACEN said the Australian firm’s assessment indicated that the trading platform is fully aligned with the Philippine grid code, WESM rules and dispatch protocols and market manuals in terms of disclosure and confidentiality.

“This certification reflects our proactive approach toward transparency and compliance in our software system as we lead the industry through innovation. Our stakeholders can trust in our platform’s capability to deliver not only transparency but also efficiency,” ACEN COO for Philippine operations Miguel de Jesus said.

IES CEO Michelle Bannister said their recent audit of ACEN’s energy trading platform resulted in the certification of ACEN to comply with the operational requirements of WESM’s market participant interface.

“ACEN is the first market participant in the Philippines to have received software compliance certification from IES. It establishes ACEN’s credibility as a market player in the Philippines electricity market,” Bannister said.

ACEN’s trading platform, developed by a local thirdparty software developer, allows the energy platform to mix its growing renewable portfolio into the WESM.

This facilitated generator offers and nomination, monitor real-time schedules of its local assets and obtain WESM data.

The platform was enhanced in 2021 in response to WESM’s transition from an hourly to a five-minute trading dispatch.

IES is an Australia-based advisory and consulting firm that has a proven software certification methodology, used in compliance of various software systems and processes implemented by electricity market operators and players.

Earlier in February, ACEN partnered with Australia’s First Nations Yindjibarndi people to develop renewable energy projects on Yindjibarndi Ngurra’s native title land.

The Yindjibarndi Energy Corp. (YEC) and ACEN will build a renewable energy source of 750 megawatts from combined wind, solar and battery storage.