Meralco’s Kawit substation to support industrial expansion


Power utility giant Manila Electric Company (Meralco) is developing its new substation in Kawit, Cavite that will support industrial expansion and other burgeoning economic activities in the area.

The power firm has collaborated with First Orient International Ventures Corporation (FOIVC) for the construction of the blueprinted gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substation that will be sited at Island Cove’s 2,377-square meter property.

Meralco considers the property donated by the FOIVC group as “an enormous help for Meralco’s continuing efforts to deliver reliable power to our customers.”

According to Ferdinand O. Geluz, first vice president and chief commercial officer of Meralco, the new substation “will be an integral part of the Meralco distribution system in Cavite, supporting not just Island Cove’s power requirements, but also that of the communities around Kawit and Bacoor, Cavite.”

The facility is targeted for completion by April next year. It will house three transformer banks that will be capable of delivering 83 megavolt amperes (MVA) of power capacity each, entailing then that their aggregate capacity will be 249 MVA.

“Once fully operational, the project will address the power requirement of Island Cove, and at the same time improve voltage regulation in the area and guarantee operational switching flexibility when needed,” Meralco emphasized.

On top of that, the company indicated that the new substation would be able to “accommodate new load applications and relieve the critically loaded circuits of existing Meralco substations in the area.”

With electricity services being the backbone of economic expansion in any country, Meralco stated that the continuing expansion of its facilities will be “essential component in achieving the company’s business goals and ensuring stable and efficient operations.”

Cavite, in particular, is an economically flourishing locale hosting not just thriving commercial establishments, but most especially the industrial firms and manufacturing facilities that have relocated to the various economic zones in the province.

Correspondingly, Meralco Senior Vice President and Head of Networks Ronnie L. Aperocho noted that the kind of collaboration they cemented with FOIVC is one business model that they would want to replicate with other prospective development-partners.

“We continue to encourage companies to closely work with Meralco for their energy requirements to ensure not just the timely energization of facilities, but also the right infrastructure that can efficiently and sufficiently support their operations and the growing need of their neighbor communities,” he stressed.