MANILA, Philippines — The Meralco Industrial Engineering Services Corp. (Miescor), a subsidiary of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), has teamed up with Seochang Electric Communication Co. Ltd. for a clean energy research and development project to drive sustainability in the Philippines.
Under the partnership, Miescor and Seochang will establish an on-grid hybrid power service, involving a 50-kilowatt peak solar photovoltaic (PV) system and a 300-kilowatt-hour energy storage system (ESS) which will serve a Gawad Kalinga community in Cavite.
The on-grid power service project is expected to benefit around 200 households in Barangay Hugo Perez in Trece Martires City.
It will power most commonly used facilities such as the community’s street lights, multi-purpose hall and development center. It will also serve as a potential energy source for electric vehicles (EV) in the area.
The project will be done through a research grant from Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP).
In a text message, Miescor president and CEO Ronnie Aperocho said the grant is equivalent to P10 million and excludes the “cost of photovoltaic (PV) panels and inverters which will be Seochang’s cost.”
“We in Seochang, are happy that Miescor partnered with us in this undertaking as we have been looking for the most appropriate and sustainable project that we can be a part of in our Asian neighbors. And this project in the Philippines is, in our opinion, the most deserving one. We fully support this and look forward to expand further to other areas in the Philippine archipelago,” Seochang president Alika Yoon said.
Also supporting the implementation of this project are other South Korean entities namely PMGROW Corp., Korea Testing Laboratory, and Korea Energy Convergence Association.
Miescor president and CEO Ronnie Aperocho said this initiative shows the parties involved “share a common goal of bolstering the use of clean energy.”
“This project does not only support One Meralco Group’s sustainability goals, but also contributes to a cleaner and more eco-friendly environment, “ he said.
The partners will start constructing the project in September, with target completion in November.
Full operation is targeted in the third quarter of 2023 but project proponents will conduct performance evaluation and maintenance system prior to this.
Through this project, the groups involved aim to develop a sustainable energy network by utilizing and optimizing used EV batteries which are suitable for local electric distribution facilities, while determining ways to provide clean and reliable electricity service to communities.
Miescor said this undertaking is also aligned with Meralco’s Sustainability Agenda, which is anchored on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.