By Sheldeen Joy Talavera, Reporter
POWER DISTRIBUTOR Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) is aiming to supply approximately 35 megawatts (MW) of power to data centers this year amid rising demand for digital infrastructure.
Over the next decade, or until 2035, the company aims to provide at least 850 MW for data center energization, Ferdinand O. Geluz, senior vice-president and chief revenue officer of Meralco, told BusinessWorld.
“This expansion reflects the increasing demand for digital infrastructure and our commitment to delivering the necessary power solutions and service standards to support the sector’s growth,” he said via Viber.
Meralco has partnered with various industry players, including the Data Center Association of the Philippines, to better understand their need for a highly reliable and clean energy supply, he said.
Data centers are mission-critical facilities for companies with significant data processing and storage requirements.
Currently, key players in the data center industry include PLDT Inc. and ST Telemedia Global Data Centres Philippines (STT GDC). PLDT, through VITRO Inc., operates 10 data centers, while STT GDC has seven.
Meralco previously developed switching stations for the two companies to support the power needs of their hyperscale data centers.
In 2023, the company energized hyperscale-ready data centers with an initial capacity of 22 MW, which can scale up to 180 MW.
“Meralco’s support for data centers in the country aligns well with the current administration’s priorities under its socioeconomic agenda, particularly in energy security and infrastructure development,” the power distributor said.
Meralco’s controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings Inc., is partly owned by PLDT Inc.
Hastings Holdings Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.