BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) has allocated an impressive P60 million to energize the rehabilitated 25/30 MVA Molo Substation.
This substantial investment underscores the firm’s commitment to upgrading Iloilo City’s power infrastructure, ensuring a more reliable and efficient electricity supply for its residents and businesses, and improving the overall stability and capacity of the electrical grid.
In a press briefing yesterday, October 10, Roel Z. Castro, president and CEO of MORE Power, emphasized that the modernization of the Molo Substation is a crucial part of MORE Power’s broader initiative to enhance the overall capacity and stability of the city’s power grid, paving the way for sustainable growth and development.
“With this rehabilitation, which took us 15 months, this is good as brand new because most of the facility is brand new. The transformer, the important component of the substation, was fully rehabilitated. This is a more reliable substation to serve the Molo district,” said Castro.
Rehabilitation work on the 25/30 MVA Molo Substation commenced on July 5, 2023, with EEI Power Corporation as the contractor.
The rehabilitation is expected to enhance the efficiency and reliability of the substation, contributing to MORE Power’s broader goal of improving the stability and performance of the city’s electrical grid.
The upgrade of the 25/30 MVA Molo Substation included the replacement of outdated and unreliable equipment, such as the control system, switchyard, and other critical components. These improvements are designed to significantly enhance the substation’s reliability and automation.
By modernizing these key elements, MORE Power aims to improve operational efficiency, reduce the risk of outages, and ensure a more stable power supply for Iloilo City.
The upgraded systems will also enable better monitoring and control, further supporting the company’s efforts to modernize the city’s power infrastructure.
Castro said the Molo Substation had been operational for 23 years without adequate maintenance, which led to frequent equipment malfunctions.
Over time, he recalled the lack of proper upkeep contributed to the deterioration of key components, resulting in reduced efficiency and reliability.
This prompted MORE Power to prioritize the substation’s rehabilitation as part of their modernization efforts.
Castro added extensive upgrades aimed to address these long-standing issues, improving performance, and prevent further disruptions in power supply to Iloilo City.
“This upgrade is vital to accommodate the rising electricity demand driven by population growth and commercial expansion in the area. Additionally, it extends the transformer’s lifespan and improves performance through advanced technology to ensure stable and efficient power distribution,” said Castro.
The transformation of the Molo Substation also includes a reconfigured in-out system, which significantly reduces the risk of outages, especially during peak demand periods.
This new system enhances operational flexibility by allowing power to be easily rerouted in the event of a transmission line fault.
The integration of the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system further optimizes this process, enabling real-time monitoring and control of the substation’s operations.
As a result, the upgraded substation will provide a more resilient and reliable power supply to Iloilo City, minimizing downtime and improving overall efficiency.
“MORE Power’s SCADA implementation is noteworthy as the first distribution utility (DU) in Panay and among the few in the Philippines, establishing a benchmark for modern power management,” said Engr. Armil Logarta, Project Management and Development head.
“This advancement minimizes power interruptions, greatly improving service reliability for residential and commercial customers. The integration of this modern substation into Iloilo City’s power system also facilitates smarter load management, allowing MORE Power to respond swiftly to fluctuations in demand,” he added./PN
