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Cebu power firm upgrades substation to meet growing demand

By John Rey Saavedra

May 19, 2019, 6:42 pm

CEBU CITY -- The second largest electric utility in the country serving eight cities and municipalities in Metro Cebu has upgraded its northern town substation to meet the growing demand for electricity in the northern part of its franchise area.
 
In a statement, Visayan Electric Co., Inc. (VECO) Reputation Enhancement Department manager, Quennie Sanchez-Bronce, said its Consolacion substation that was inaugurated last May 10, is expected to meet the demand for electricity brought about by growing residential developments and the vigorous economy in the northern corridors of the metro.
 
The Consolacion substation was built in 1995 with an original 33 mega-volts ampere (MVA) capacity.
 
Assistant vice president for engineering operations of VECO, engineer Noel Modesto, said the largest utility firm in the Visayas sees “the need to improve, rehabilitate and upgrade the substation to a capacity of 66 MVA to improve reliability and flexibility to better serve its customers in the municipalities of Consolacion and Lilo-an.”
 
Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado, in her speech during the inauguration, thanked VECO for keeping up with the demands of the municipality’s growing economy.
 
“We in Consolacion consider VECO as a partner in growth and development and we are very thankful that VECO readily answers the call of the times,” Alegado said.
 
“In fact, VECO is several steps ahead. Seeing that Consolacion is growing rapidly, you are also preparing your facilities to meet the demands,” she said, noting that the townsfolk “look forward to working with you more and we assure you that we will always be hand in hand in the development of Consolacion.”
 
A substation is a set of equipment, which transforms voltage from high to low so it would become suitable for supply to the consumers, the statement read, adding that VECO has 19 substations.
 
The company started the rehabilitation works at the Consolacion substation in October 2017 and upgraded its capacity in August 2018.
 
The upgrading of the Consolacion substation is also in preparation for the upcoming rehabilitation of the nearby Paknaan (Mandaue) substation, in June with commissioning targeted by 2020.
 
Rehabilitation and upgrading works for the Calamba substation in this city into 66 MVA is ongoing and is expected to be completed this year.
 
VECO, owned and managed by the publicly-listed Aboitiz Power Corp. and Vivant Corp., serves the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay, and Naga, and four municipalities of the greater part of Metro Cebu --Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanilla, and San Fernando. (PNA)
 

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