Urban BESS installations face new solution in Southeast Asia
Blue Whale Energy has announced a new partnership with UNIGRID to deliver battery energy storage system (BESS) installations in space-limited Southeast Asian cities.
The two companies will begin by rolling out 8 MWh of sodium-ion rooftop battery systems beneath commercial and industrial solar arrays by the end of 2025.
According to Blue Whale Energy, BESS co-located with solar is essential to support electric grids experiencing strain from variable solar output and increasing demand.
In dense urban areas, however, conventional lithium-ion systems face challenges due to setback requirements, fire safety concerns and engineering complexity.
Blue Whale Energy stated that its compact rooftop approach using sodium-ion battery technology allows deployment in areas where lithium-ion systems are impractical.
Sodium-ion selected for thermal safety and flexibility
Blue Whale Energy explained that sodium-ion cells from UNIGRID eliminate the need for active thermal controls.
The company said lithium-ion installations typically require advanced cooling, fire mitigation, and housing infrastructure that increases costs and reduces feasibility in urban zones.
By contrast, UNIGRID’s sodium-ion batteries operate across a wide temperature range without active cooling, according to Blue Whale Energy.
Gabriel Lim, Founder and CEO of Blue Whale Energy, said: “This technology is a game changer for us.”
“With UNIGRID’s sodium-ion platform, we can deploy energy storage directly where energy is needed – on commercial and industrial rooftops throughout urban cities where space constraints previously made installations unfeasible.”
“This allows us to turn every roof into a dispatchable grid asset.”
Partnership to scale Southeast Asia’s virtual power plants
The two companies have confirmed that the 2025 deployment will serve as a launch platform for broader rollout in 2026.
The initiative will form part of Blue Whale Energy’s development of a distributed virtual power plant (VPP) model across Southeast Asia.
UNIGRID CEO Darren H. S. Tan said: “We’re proud to support Blue Whale in building Southeast Asia’s virtual power plant network, powered by distributed renewable energy and safe storage.”
“Such an approach allows us to open up new and untapped market opportunities in the BESS world.”
Blue Whale Energy confirmed that the VPP strategy is based on turning underused rooftop space into grid-connected assets.
The firm said sodium-ion’s safety profile makes it viable for urban VPP rollout in a way that lithium-ion cannot match.
Regulatory and economic factors drive solar-plus-storage
Blue Whale Energy noted that falling solar costs and policy incentives are driving up installation rates across the region.
The firm said that while solar adoption is growing, many grids cannot absorb the influx of power during daylight hours without storage support.
UNIGRID added that flexible storage infrastructure is increasingly necessary to maintain system reliability.
According to Blue Whale Energy, the mismatch between peak demand and solar generation has created a need for BESS integration.
It said sodium-ion storage enables better alignment between generation and consumption while reducing fire risk.
First deployments planned for late 2025
Blue Whale Energy stated that the initial 8 MWh rollout is scheduled for completion by the end of 2025.
The project will focus on commercial and industrial rooftops in dense city locations.
Both companies said they intend to scale deployments to additional sites in 2026 and beyond.
They confirmed that future projects will be based on the same compact rooftop installation model.
According to Blue Whale Energy, long-term goals include wider adoption across Southeast Asia in support of national energy transition strategies.
Blue Whale and UNIGRID to deploy rooftop BESS in Southeast Asia: Summary
Blue Whale Energy has partnered with UNIGRID to deliver rooftop BESS in Southeast Asia.
The companies will deploy 8 MWh of sodium-ion rooftop battery systems by the end of 2025.
The storage units will be co-located beneath commercial and industrial solar arrays in urban areas.
Blue Whale Energy said sodium-ion was selected for its thermal safety and ability to operate without cooling.
UNIGRID confirmed the batteries will support distributed virtual power plant development across Southeast Asia.
The companies said the strategy addresses limitations of lithium-ion in cities, such as fire safety and space needs.
Blue Whale Energy said the solution aligns with rising solar adoption and the need to balance grid supply.
The firm said the approach turns rooftops into grid assets that store and dispatch energy.
Both companies plan to expand installations from 2026 onwards.
The news was reported by Blue Whale Energy on 26 June 2025.