BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
RAMON, Isabela (August 17)—A new digital substation in Panabo City, Davao del Norte, will be built by the AboitizPower subsidiary Davao Light and Power Co. Inc. (Davao Light).
According to Janelle Jacinto, AboitizPower Corporate Branding and Communication unit head, Davao Light is setting up the substation in Panabo City, their fourth facility. The Panabo substation will have a capacity of 33 megavolt-amperes.
“Davao Light is set to build this new digital substation in Panabo City due to the growing population and economic activity in the area,” she said.
Jacinto said this new facility is more than three times that of the existing substation in Cagangohan in Panabo City. It can also be remotely monitored and controlled, leading to faster and safer troubleshooting.
Davao Light president and chief operating officer Rodger Velasco said they are determined to supply reliable electricity and remain a partner in the progress of the communities they serve.
“We continue to invest in the latest technologies to align with the international standards of power distribution,” Velasco said in a speech during a recent groundbreaking ceremony held for the facility.
Jacinto explained that a substation is a key component within a power distribution system that transforms electricity voltage so it can be safely and efficiently used by residential, commercial, and industrial consumers.
She said the new Panabo substation can also restore electricity in case of emergency outages in nearby areas by remotely switching from one power source to another.
Davao Light’s first substation started energizing Panabo City and the municipalities of Carmen, Dujali, and Santo Tomas in 1994, distributing over 20 megawatts (MW) to 25,000 customers.
Jacinto noted that with the continuous progress and development in these municipalities, the power demand has increased to 75 MW and the distribution utility now serves over 86,000 customers.
She added that Davao Light continues to upgrade its substations with the use of new technology to provide power in its franchise area and deliver world-class service to its customers.