Iloilo City power distribution system in utter disrepair – MORE
MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) describes the power distribution system in Iloilo City as “rotting, in a state of despair, a ticking time bomb” since taking over from Panay Electric Co. (PECO) in February 2020.
MORE Power President Roel Castro said they had since implemented maintenance works on substations, transformers, and distributions in the past three months, causing brownouts around the city.
Castro said it was the required maintenance works that caused the longest brownout in Jaro district on May 17, 2020 after MORE Power conducted preventive maintenance work on Jaro substation.
He pointed out that the five Iloilo City power substations were an integral part of the power distribution system as they reduce voltage to a level suitable for local distribution. These substations also protect the consumers from sudden drops or surges of electricity.
Castro said their inspections on the substations, transformers, and cables in Iloilo City revealed alarming conditions of the distribution system such as high levels of dissolved gas due to degradation of oil and paper insulation, which may cause instability or an explosion.
Castro said four of the five substations are over 90 percent loaded against the normal load of 70 to 80 percent.
In its initial investigation, MORE Power and its engineering consultant, the Meralco Industrial Engineering Services Corp. or
Miescor, found out that there are over 900 connection points or hotspots, and these include 144 transformers, power lines and other components of the system. Miescor is a subsidiary of the Manila Electric Co., or Meralco.
Castro said PECO failed to implement new capital expenditures for the last 10 years for improvements and upgrading of facilities.
The problem was exacerbated because of the summer season, which increased demand for power and took a toll on distribution lines, many of which are undersized, and already overloaded, he explained.
Castro said they have replaced and upgraded 96 transformers, erected 98 new concrete poles, and replaced almost 11,000 new electric meters since they took over from PECO.
He said they counted 10 overloaded transformers that exploded in the past three months.
To avoid bigger damage and longer interruptions, MORE Power started the comprehensive preventive maintenance of the substations, needing a maximum of 13 hours to complete the process.
While MORE started the repairs, PECO has filed an appeal before the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to reinstate its permit to provide the electricity needs of Iloilo City.