Meralco upgrades Caloocan substation

POWER DISTRIBUTOR Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has energized a substation in Caloocan City following a P208.45-million upgrade aimed at improving electricity service reliability in the city and nearby areas.

In a statement on Tuesday, Meralco said it installed a new 83-megavolt-ampere (MVA) power transformer bank, 34.5-kilovolt (kV) gas-insulated switchgear, four 115-kV power circuit breakers, and eight 115-kV disconnect switches.

The upgrade is intended to support rising power demand in key areas of North Caloocan and parts of San Jose del Monte, including Maynilad Water Services – La Mesa Water, SM Deparo, SM San Jose Del Monte, Regan Industrial Sales, Inc., and Converge J3 Caloocan data center.

The project is part of Meralco’s broader investments to support load growth and improve service reliability, with total spending amounting to P1.48 billion.

Meralco is the country’s largest private electric distribution utility, serving more than 8.2 million customers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, including Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, and parts of Laguna, Batangas, Pampanga, and Quezon.

Meralco’s controlling shareholder, 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