MANILA ELECTRIC Co. (Meralco) has energized a 115-kilovolt (kV) to 34.5-kV gas-insulated switchgear substation that will provide power supply to Ayala Land, Inc.’s Arca South estate and nearby communities in Taguig City.
In a media release on Monday, the company said it invested P597 million for the new substation, which has an initial capacity of 83 megavolt amperes (MVA).
The substation will house three transformer banks with a combined capacity of 249 MVA that will support the energy requirements of the area.
“The opportunity to participate in the master planning of Ayala estates has allowed Meralco to serve more customers and further cement our commitment to keep the lights on,” said Ronnie L. Aperocho, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Meralco.
“As a testament to that, this newly energized smart substation in Arca South Taguig will provide safe, adequate, and reliable capacity to serve the existing and future power requirements of this particular Ayala Land development, and the adjacent communities in the area,” he added.
According to Meralco, some of the establishments that will benefit include AC Health’s Healthway Cancer Care Hospital, Ayala Malls Arca South, Alveo Veranda, Avida Towers Vireo, Landers Superstore Arca South, Maharlika Village, Puregold FTI Taguig, Sunshine Mall Plaza, Taguig Pateros Hospital, and Technological University of the Philippines-Taguig.
Robert S. Lao, Ayala Land senior vice-president and group head for Ayala Land Estates, said that the substation represents the company’s “dedication to sustainable urban development.”
“It is a cornerstone of progress, enabling us to power homes, businesses, and innovations that will drive Arca South’s growth and development,” he said.
About a hundred projects of Ayala Land and its subsidiary, Makati Development Corp., including One Ayala and Seda Manila Bay, have been energized by Meralco.
“We share a common goal which is to uplift the lives of our people and we encourage the active participation and engagement of the private sector in the present economic programs,” Meralco Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Manuel V. Pangilinan said.
Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
