Business Highlights Visayan Electric Power Distribution

Upgraded Banilad Substation adds 33MVA capacity to VECO network

April 17, 2018

In its commitment to continuously improve its distribution network to address the power needs of its customers, the Visayan Electric Company, Inc. (VECO) inaugurated on April 10 the upgraded Banilad Substation.

The upgraded substation, located at the VECO Engineering Office in Banilad, Cebu City, adds 33 MVA capacity to the eastern cluster of the VECO franchise, doubling the capacity of the facility from 1 x 33 MVA  to 2 x 33 MVA power transformers, or a total of 66 MVA.

A substation is a set of equipment that reduces the high voltage of electrical power transmission to that which is suitable for supply to consumers.

“It is VECO’s mission to provide reliable and ample power supply to its customers. We are committed to advancing business and communities where we are located, which is why we are constantly improving our facilities to better serve our customers. The continued growth in IT Park, Banilad and A.S. Fortuna areas made it imperative for VECO to also improve the power facilities that serve the area,” VECO Chief Operating Officer Anton Mari Perdices said.

The upgrade also makes it easier for VECO to transfer loads quickly from one substation to another within the eastern cluster during emergency situations. For a robust and a reliable network, VECO has been keeping up with its N-1 reliability standard. This means that a single loss of power transformer within each region would still enable VECO to provide electricity to its customers without curtailment.

VECO, jointly owned by publicly listed companies AboitizPower and Vivant, is the second largest electric utility in the Philippines. It serves the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay, Naga and four municipalities of the greater part of Metro Cebu -- Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanilla and San Fernando.