MORE Power opens Iloilo's first remote-controlled power substation
Razon-led MORE Electric and Power Corp. has commissioned Iloilo City’s first fully unmanned 30-megavolt ampere substation, a step in the utility’s multiyear effort to digitize the local power grid and accommodate surging economic demand.
In a statement on Tuesday, May 12, More Power said the facility operates via an advanced Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, which enables technicians to manage the substation’s entire operations from a centralized remote control center.
The company said that the transition to a digitized “smart” grid is intended to provide the city with a more resilient infrastructure as commercial and industrial consumption rises.
By integrating Intelligent Electronic Devices, MORE Power said it can monitor load flow, voltage levels, and equipment health in real-time. This digital framework offers a critical advantage for power stability: automated fault detection.
When a technical glitch occurs, MORE Power said the system is designed to isolate the issue and restore electricity to unaffected areas within seconds, a process that previously required manual intervention and on-site troubleshooting.
The SCADA framework essentially serves as a “digital brain” for the city's power distribution. It allows for predictive maintenance and data-driven forecasting, helping engineers prevent system overloads before they occur.
Beyond technical connectivity, the removal of on-site personnel from high-voltage environments enhances operational safety while maintaining 24-hour precision monitoring.
Company officials noted that the technological shift follows an intensive period of infrastructure upgrades.
Wilmar Gonzaludo, manager of the Power System Planning Department, said the project was the result of meticulous planning and an analysis of the specific consumption patterns of Iloilo residents.
The current initiative represents a sharp departure from the aging infrastructure MORE Power inherited in 2020.
Since taking over the franchise, the utility has focused on replacing dilapidated equipment with automated systems to reduce system losses and improve reliability.
Mark Anthony Molano, MORE Power substation projects manager, said the company aims to bring Iloilo’s power quality in line with international standards. While the control systems are now handled remotely, the utility will maintain on-site security guards at the facility 24 hours a day to ensure physical assets remain protected.