Lima EnerZone, the power distribution subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corporation (AP) that supplies to Lima Estate in Batangas and its locators, had reinforced its utility network by doubling its capacity to 100 megawatts following the completion of the 69-kilovolt Batangas-Lima line 2.

The company said the power distribution system upgrade had been primed for “fast load growth and ongoing expansion” at the Lima ecozone. The newly energized line will also provide supply connection redundancy in case line 1 will suffer service disruption.

For that project, Lima EnerZone had commissioned its affiliate firm Aboitiz Construction, for the installation of the sub-transmission line in 2019.

Another partner in that undertaking is Batangas II Electric Cooperative Inc. (Batelec II) for joint pole usage,which was necessary to attach the 69-kV sub-transmission line to EnerZone’s steel poles “to ensure power reliability and flexibility.”

The power distribution system at the ecozone, according to the company, is underpinned by a 27-kilometer sub-transmission line that stretches from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) at Brgy. Mahabang Parang in Batangas City to Lima Estate in Lipa - Malvar, passing through JP Laurel Highway that currently serves as the primary power supply line for Lima Estate.

Rafael Fernandez de Mesa, president of Lima Land Inc. and head of Aboitiz InfraCapital’s Economic Estates, explained that “the Batangas – Lima 69kV Line 2 is a key piece of infrastructure that will cater to existing locators’ increasing power needs as well as the anticipated growth in demand from Lima Estate’s industrial and commercial expansion.”

The project completion, he added, has been perfectly timed “as construction of our latest 47-hectare expansion is nearing completion.”

De Mesa thus noted that because of the sustained demand from locators, Lima Estate also pushed and already broke ground for its next wave of expansion that will shore up its ecozone land inventory by additional 150 hectares.

“As we welcome new locators to Lima Estate, we also look forward to the continuous transformation of the estate through the introduction of new product lines, sustainability initiatives, and smart city features,” he stressed.

So far, the 794-hectare Lima Estate is hosting about 130 international and local locators that have been employing around 62,000 employees; and the township development also features hotel amenities, shops as well as mall establishments.

Beyond the recent upgrade on its distribution network, Lima Estate has likewise started shifting energy use to renewable energy. It had already installed a 1.5-megawatt peak (MWp) solar panel in 2018.