As the country continues to evolve into a more connected and energy-intensive economy, Manila Electric Company’s (Meralco) smart substations, upgraded transmission lines, and expanded capacity are no longer just support mechanisms — they serve as critical infrastructure investments that promise of reliability, innovation, and progress. These projects reflect the power distributor’s proactive approach in anticipating customer needs and adapting to the challenges of climate change and urbanization.
With a clear vision for the future, the Manuel V. Pangilinan-led power distribution utility remains committed to powering communities and enabling growth through sustainable and resilient energy solutions. Whether it’s supporting critical facilities, commercial hubs, or everyday households, Meralco’s network enhancements ensure that the lights stay on — and the future stays bright.
In the second quarter of this year, Meralco energized nine major capital expenditure (capex) projects — spanning key urban centers in Metro Manila and high-growth areas in Bulacan, Laguna and Quezon.
“These projects are part of Meralco’s broader network enhancement strategy, ensuring that our infrastructure is future-ready to meet growing energy demand while improving operational flexibility and service reliability,” Meralco First Vice-President and Head of Networks Froilan J. Savet said.
CAPACITY ADDITIONS
SUPPORTING ECONOMIC HUBS. Meralco’s recently commissioned the ASEANA 115 kV-34.5 kV GIS Substation in Parañaque City ensures a more reliable and stable power supply to serve the booming ASEANA City and nearby developments.
From April to June of this year alone, Meralco commissioned projects contributing a total of 450 megavolt-amperes (MVA) in additional capacity to support the load growth and improve service reliability in the cities of Makati, Pasig, Parañaque and Quezon in Metro Manila, as well as several municipalities in Laguna and Quezon.
The power distributor completed the ASEANA 115 kilovolt (kV) – 34.5 kV Gas Insulated Switchgear (GIS) Substation in Parañaque City to support key economic hubs in the southern part of Metro Manila.
The new smart substation now serves the power requirements of business and commercial establishments including ASEANA 3, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Bayprime Hotel, Seda Manila Bay, Bayprime Hotel, and Uni-Asia International Prime Holdings, Inc.
To enhance power supply reliability in central business districts in Metro Manila, the power distributor also expanded the Bridgetowne 115 kV – 34.5 kV GIS and Makati 115 kV – 34.5 kV GIS Substations.
The Bridgetowne Substation will serve the growing demand of customers in Pasig City and Quezon City, including Exxa and Zetta Towers, Giga Tower, Tera Tower, Opus Mall and GBF Center; while the Makati Substation caters to key customers such as Cash & Carry Mall, St. Clare’s Medical Center, St. Mary of the Woods School, SMDC Red Residences and residents in nearby areas.
In Southern Luzon, Meralco increased the capacity of the Tayabas Power Transformer to 300 MVA from 100 MVA to support load growth in portions of Quezon and Laguna provinces.
IMPROVING NETWORK RELIABILITY
BOOSTING POWER RELIABILITY IN LAGUNA. The uprating of a portion of the Dila-Real 115-kV line features the installation of high-capacity HTLS STACIR conductors, enhancing the reliability of Meralco’s sub-transmission system and ensures stable electricity supply for key areas in Laguna, including Calamba, Los Baños, Bay, Pila, and Calauan.
Meralco also energized five major projects intended to improve its sub-transmission system backbone, Mr. Savet said.
The power distributor increased the capacity of the Dila-Real 115 kV line, bolstering power reliability for customers in Laguna, including Calamba, Los Baños, Bay, Pila and Calauan.
In the northern part of its franchise area, Meralco energized key transmission lines in Bulacan, namely the Malolos-Tabang and Malolos-Calumpit 69-kV lines, to meet the increasing demand and support the Department of Transportation’s flagship North-South Commuter Railway project.
The company also launched its first fully indoor GIS switching station in Regalado, Quezon City. The project improves operational switching flexibility in portions of Quezon City and Caloocan City, and boosts service reliability for critical facilities such as ST Telemedia Global Data Centers.
In Cavite, Meralco upgraded the Abubot Substation by installing three 115-kV circuit breakers and other associated equipment to support commercial and healthcare customers in Dasmariñas, General Trias and Imus. The project will also benefit large customers including De La Salle University Medical Center, Emilio Aguinaldo College, National College of Science and Technology, and San Miguel Yamamura.
All these projects are aligned with Meralco’s ongoing efforts to modernize its infrastructure and support the country’s socioeconomic growth by ensuring continuous, adequate, and high-quality electricity supply for households, industries, and key public services.
“These infrastructure investments reflect our unwavering commitment to power progress and ensure that our customers have access to reliable, sufficient, and high-quality electricity. As demand continues to grow, we will continue to upgrade and expand our facilities and strengthen our distribution network which serves as the backbone of our efforts to support the country’s economic development,” Mr. Savet said.
As the country continues to evolve into a more connected and energy-dependent economy, Meralco’s investments in smart substations, upgraded transmission lines, and expanded capacity are more than just infrastructure — they’re a promise of reliability, innovation, and progress. These projects reflect Meralco’s proactive approach to anticipating customer needs and adapting to the challenges of climate change and urbanization.
With a clear vision for the future, Meralco stands true to its commitment to powering communities and enabling growth through sustainable and resilient energy solutions. Whether it’s supporting critical facilities, commercial hubs, or everyday households, Meralco’s network enhancements ensure that the lights stay on — and the future stays bright.
Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by publishing their stories on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.
Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.
