Philec to launch green transformers

MANILA, Philippines — Lopez-led First Philec Inc. has received strong interest for its green transformers to be launched within the quarter amid the strong push of power distributors to employ sustainable solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change, its top official said.

During the 23rd Conference of the Electricity Power Supply Industry (CEPSI), First Philec president and CEO Ariel Ong said the company is on track to launch green transformers before the end of the year.

“We are ready to launch it by fourth quarter and the first recipient would be Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) because they are very open to sustainability solutions, so we are going to give them a few samples to evaluate,” he said.

“Right now, (Meralco president and CEO) Atty. Ray Espinosa and his senior executives are very interested to know what we can provide them in terms of this sustainability solutions,” Ong said.

Apart from Meralco, other private distribution utilities (DUs) have also expressed their interest for First Philec’s green transformers.

“Private utilities all over the country are also very interested. The Aboitiz-owned Visayan Electric and Davao Light is also one of our own customers. They are already using 100 percent biodegradable fluid so with that we can convert their transformers to 100 percent recyclable not just the fluid,” Ong said.

“I think the private sector, private utilities are very much open to this because they look at the total cost of ownership not the sticker price of the equipment,” he said.

The green transformers are also being eyed for commercial launch in the international market, the company official said.

“We are actually in the final stages of our plans to enter the international market,” Ong said.

The green transformers are made from 100-percent recyclable and biodegradable materials which will help power distributors bring down system losses and reduce carbon footprint.

Transformers are equipment designed to help improve the safety and efficiency of power systems through their ability to adjust up and down voltage levels as needed by the power systems. Transformers are made mostly from metals, as well as non-metallic components, like insulating coolants.

First Philec changed all metallic parts of the new transformer model into recyclable materials while all the non-metallic components will be biodegradable or recyclable.

The Lopez firm will use a magnetic material known as amorphous core which would allow the green transformer to perform at a higher efficiency level and lower loss design than regular electrical steel.

First Philec, a subsidiary of First Philippine Holdings Corp., was formed five decades ago as a pioneering transformer maker in Southeast Asia. It has so far installed 250,000 transformers all over the country. It has two plants inside sister company First Philippine Industrial Estate, a special economic zone in Santo Tomas and Tanauan in Batangas.