ILOILO City – To improve electricity distribution and serve consumers here better, MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) is investing P700 million in the next three years in the acquisition, upgrading and maintenance of its power distribution system.
“The overall result will be better service and cheaper rates. Panalo ang consumers dito,” said company president Roel Castro.
Congress already approved MORE Power’s franchise to distribute power in this southern city. The franchise bill now awaits President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature.
“We are hoping and praying it would be signed early so we will have more time to plan for our assumption of operations,” Castro said.
According to Castro, an improved power distribution backed by a P700-million capital expenditure (CapEx) will lower technical and non-technical systems losses.
MORE Power targets to bring down the losses – currently at 9.30 percent – to below the Energy Regulatory Commission’s mandated cap.
Specifically, said Castro, MORE Power is poised to do immediate rehabilitation of metering points and service drops (230V) and wage an anti-power pilferage campaign.
The company also targets to lower the System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) from the current 31.15 times to the Philippine Standard of 2.4 times, and the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) from the current 1,162 minutes to the Philippine Standard of 54 minutes.
“We are really serious in putting up a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system within the whole system. We would be able to predict what could happen or see what’s happening in our different facilities. Instead of waiting for something to happen and act on it, through the SCADA system we would be able to prepare corrective measures,” Castro stressed.
Fault indicators would be installed, too.
MORE Power will also strive to increase substation capacity such that they do not exceed 70 percent normal loading; correct unsafe electrical installations; and correct voltage quality to within +/-10 percent at 230 volts.
According to Castro, there will also be rehabilitation and uprating of secondary system (230V) and repair of distribution transformer installations.
“MORE Power will infuse substantial investments to improve and modernize the power distribution system in Iloilo City,” said Castro.
Also up for rehabilitation, among others, are the 13.8 kV primary lines, 69 kV lines, control panels in the Jaro, Molo and La Paz substations; mobile 15 MVA power transformer; dilapidated and unsafe primary (13.8kV) and secondary poles and lines (230V).
As to power supply, Castro said MORE Power will initially contract for a period of one year – via negotiated procurement – emergency power.
MORE Power has already solicited offers from most power generations in the Visayas, he revealed, such as Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC), Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), Salcon Power Corp., and Palm Concepcion Power Corp. (PCPC).
As a rate reduction strategy, Castro said, MORE Power source majority of its power requirements from new bilateral contracts and from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market.
Castro said they are also poised to explore contracting power supply from renewable energy sources.
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has already started preparing for MORE Power’s access to the grid, said Castro./PN
