DAVAO Light and Power Co., Inc. (Davao Light) has inaugurated its new 150 megavolt-amperes (MVA) digital substation to meet the electricity demands of Davao City and its growing number of consumers.
As of the latest data, Davao Light serves 486,000 registered consumers with an average growth rate of 3.48 percent.
The ERA Substation converts electricity from 138 kV/69 kV sub-transmission level voltage to supply the 69 kV/13.8 kV substations, ensuring efficient power distribution across residential, commercial, and industrial areas.
“The inauguration of the ERA 150 MVA digital substation represents Davao Light’s capacity to serve and accommodate the growing energy needs of our customers,” Rodger S. Velasco, Davao Light president and chief operating officer, said in his message, Monday morning, April 29, 2024.
The official also said, “Digitalization of our substations plays a key role in modernizing our systems and helps us maintain a competitive edge.”
The upgraded ERA 150 MVA substation now boasts a capacity of 300 MVA, reflecting the growing energy demands of Davao City.
The expansion of Davao Light's infrastructure was necessitated by the city's development, leading to the recent upgrade of the substation capacity.
Davao Light operates two sub-transmission substations, with the first one operating at 138 kV/69 kV. Back in the early 1990s, this substation was powered by a single 150 MVA transformer.
Meanwhile, Davao Light installed a second 150 MVA transformer in 2022 as part of an upgrading project that began in 2019. The transformer was fully operational by December 2023 and experienced full load on January 7, 2024, marking a successful start to the year for the distribution utility.
The increased capacity of these substations strengthens Davao Light's ability to handle electricity distribution from downtown Davao City to its northern and southern regions, poised to accommodate future demand.
Davao Light's residential power rate saw a slight increase this April, rising from P8.9975/kWh in March to P9.1354/kWh, resulting in a P27.58 increase for an average monthly consumption of 200 kWh.
As of press time, Davao Light has not announced its power rate for May to June billing. DEF