Power retailer Manila Electric Co.(Meralco) said Tuesday it developed a new switching station that would cater to the power requirements of VITRO Sta. Rosa, the country’s largest AI-ready hyperscale data center.
The data center in Laguna is owned by VITRO Inc., a subsidiary of ePLDT and the data center arm of the PLDT Group.
The recently-commissioned 115-kV switching station, the first in the Meralco franchise area to serve a data center, will help ensure adequacy, redundancy and reliability that are critical to the operations of the data center with a 50-megawatt (MW) ultimate power demand.
“VITRO Sta. Rosa is not just another data center—it’s a facility designed to welcome hyperscalers and accelerate the country’s adoption of AI,” said Victor Genuino, ePLDT and VITRO Inc. president and chief executive during the ceremonial inauguration of the switching station.
“The digital infrastructure we are building directly supports the country’s modernization and progress, impacting industries like telco, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and government services to name a few. Our strong partnership with Meralco is strategic as we continue to build world-class facilities,” Genuino said.
Meralco committed to supporting the hyperscale industry’s growing demands and productivity requirements by providing redundant and reliable power infrastructure and tailor-fit energy solutions.
“The switching station design incorporates redundancy features, which guarantees our customer’s data center can maintain uninterrupted services – critical in an industry where even a brief outage can have significant and far-reaching consequences. This demonstrates our dedication to ensuring that the infrastructure keeps pace with the demands of technology- and data-driven industries,” Meralco executive vice president and chief operating officer Ronnie Aperocho said.
Meralco aims to become instrumental to the rapid growth of data center facilities as the government strategically positions the country in the hyperscale industry.
“This also aligns well with our continued commitment to support nation-building efforts towards the country’s sustainable economic development,” Aperocho said.
