By Francis Allan L. Angelo
Energy Sec. Alfonso Cusi and businessman Enrique Razon will lead today’s official commissioning of the 10 MVA mobile substation that will serve the entire Iloilo Business Park (Megaworld area) in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
The project is part of MORE Power’s program to modernize the power distribution systems in the city.
Cusi and Razon will join the even via online streaming due to current health protocols.
MORE Power president and CEO Roel Castro said the mobile substation will be used as an alternative for Megaworld area to free up the Mandurriao sub-station which is now reaching its capacity at maximum level.
Castro said the safe loading of the 25-30MVA Mandurriao substation is around 60% to 70% only, but it is currently functioning at 95% to 100% capacity, which is classified to be in critical state.
Castro said it is vital that the Mandurriao substation is freed from its critical state to avoid the possibility of a breakdown.
“This 10MVA mobile sub-station will be used to cater primarily to the load requirements of the Megaworld area and put into loop the Mandurriao and Molo substations,” he said.
The blessing and inauguration is scheduled at 4 pm today at the Explorer Road of the Iloilo Business Park.
COLLABORATION
MORE Power invested on the 10MVA mobile station and appointed Meralco Industrial Engineering Services Corporation (MIESCOR) to be its “Owner’s Engineer” for the testing and commissioning.
MIESCOR is an engineering procurement and construction company, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Manila Electric Company (Meralco), the largest electric distribution utility firm in the country.
MIESCOR announced the collaboration between the two companies saying, “This may be the year of the pandemic, but the force behind the power will always be at the front lines, going beyond extending its top-tier engineering services in Iloilo.”
MIESCOR President and CEO Ronnie Aperocho, who is also part of Meralco’s Network Group, said, “We are actually glad to collaborate with MORE Power to further better its distribution of electricity in Iloilo City.”
Aperocho hailed MORE Power for adopting smarter practices by embracing technological upgrading of the city’s distribution facility.
“This investment in the technology will definitely create a positive feedback loop of improvements which will make MORE Power more effective in addressing the distribution needs of the Ilonggo consumers. And fused with MORE Power expertise, the skills of our team will provide a new paradigm in operating this mobile station at the optimum level.”
He added that “there really is a need for major rehabilitation given the state of facilities that MORE Power acquired from the previous distributor.”
Castro said it is significant for MORE Power to pick the right partner and create an effective alliance in facing the serious challenges facing the city’s power distribution system.
“Having an experienced outfit will be beneficial to the Ilonggo consumers. What actually bonds us both is our shared desire to bring to the city the services that Ilonggos deserve,” he noted.
