Meralco says P683.74-M spent in Q1 for substation upgrades

MANILA ELECTRIC CO. (Meralco) spent a total of P683.74 million in the first quarter (Q1) for the upgrade and development of three substations to help meet growing power requirements in its service areas, the power distributor said on Wednesday.

Meralco allocated P268.84 million for the development of the Mesaland 115-34.5 kilovolt (kV) substation, which was energized in March, based on the company’s presentation.

The development, which involves the installation of a new power transformer and gas-insulated switchgear, provides additional capacity to serve load growth in parts of the provinces of Laguna and Cavite, it added.

With a budget of P188.41 million, the company expanded its Malinta Substation to accommodate increasing demand in the cities of Valenzuela and Malabon.

Meralco also said it commissioned a new power transformer and gas-insulated switchgear for the switchgear substation located in Bonifacio Global City at a total cost of P226.49 million.

The improvement aims to accommodate additional demand and enhance flexibility and reliability in Bonifacio Global City and parts of Makati, it said.

“With these three projects, we are effectively providing additional capacity to support local and rural areas,” Meralco First Vice-President and Head of Networks Froilan J. Savet said in a recent briefing.

The company said that it “continuously invests heavily on projects aimed to improve its electricity distribution system and ensure safe, stable and reliable electricity service to its customers.”

Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc.

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