Data centers continue to grow steadily in the country as business demands necessitate more robust data management and efficient network expansion capabilities to support the scaling and strengthening of digital services amid a dynamic economic environment.
With this increasing demand on digital service usage from internet connectivity, social media, e-commerce, and cloud/data, the Philippines is poised to become one of the strategic leading hyperscale hubs.
Additionally, the Philippines is strategically located in the Asia-Pacific region to service local and regional digital applications needed to compete in the fourth industrial revolution. Surrounded by the world’s top economies such as China, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore and USA, the Philippines will serve as a hub for the region’s information network.
Investments in the hyperscale data industry also complement the booming business processing industry which allows benefits on Artificial Intelligence and automation to support increasing productivity requirements. Aligning this potential and these needs with the government’s ongoing push for data sovereignty and residency, supporting the hyperscale industry’s growth becomes beneficial and essential.
In this regard, the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to support hyperscale data center industry stakeholders, alongside its public and private partners, by providing reliable energy infrastructure and solutions that help partners meet their growing needs.
In a recently held executive roundtable entitled “Power up Talks: Powering Hyperscale Ecosystems in the Philippines,” Meralco assured stakeholders of its readiness and commitment to provide such solutions.
Meralco Senior Vice President & Chief Revenue Officer Ferdinand Geluz, in his opening message and introduction of the One Meralco Group, mentioned that as early as 2020, Meralco has been providing packaged solutions that cater to hyperscalers and data centers’ needs, including master planning, value engineering, timely energization, energy and demand management, Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) day one switch, and renewable solutions.
“As we strategically position the country in this transformative space, we at Meralco dedicate ourselves to fortifying this growth engine,” Mr. Geluz said. “Last year alone, we energized hyperscale-ready data centers with an initial capacity of 22MW that can ramp up to 180MW. This service stresses our commitment to providing the critical power infrastructure essential for the seamless operation of these facilities. We now have more than 30 service applications in the pipeline with a total capacity of 1,200MW.”
He also mentioned the company’s proactive approach to support the clean energy preferences of Meralco’s customers.
“Among our top priorities, we are recalibrating our green energy supply portfolio to meet the clean energy preferences of our partners – a move that also aligns with the DOE’s push for renewable energy (RE) solutions and its aggressive development of RE in the Philippines,” Mr. Geluz emphasized.
Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Rowena Cristina Guevara, in her keynote address, echoed this prioritization and expanded it, as it is a key factor in the intended development of the hyperscale data industry and the country’s economic growth in line with the Department’s Philippine Energy Plan. Usec. Guevara mentioned that the Department of Energy has implemented a range of plans, policies and programs designed to facilitate immediate and strategic investments in support of this energy transition directive to clean energy and aggressive RE development in the Philippines.
Alongside the shift to clean energy is the government’s ongoing move towards digitalization with the launch of the e-Government app, the national ID roll out, and several initiatives for the full automation of national government services. In the forum, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary for E-Government David Almirol also underscored the need for more data centers in the country as most government agencies currently use overseas cloud services, which could lead to data privacy and cybersecurity risks.
Sharing how Meralco caters to the needs of both its public and private partners, Meralco Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Ronnie Aperocho discussed how the company can empower enterprises with seamless connectivity through redundant power infrastructure support and tailor-fit solutions. An integral part of Meralco’s commitment to support the hyperscale data center industry is addressing their key requirements for safe, adequate, reliable, affordable, and renewable energy.
“At the core of what we offer is Meralco’s expansive and high-performing electric distribution network, which serves as the vital energy infrastructure to address the huge electricity demand of hyperscale data centers.”
He added, “Meralco can even provide data center facilities with power supply redundancy through a double feed from an equally reliable power source, resulting in even more outstanding service availability. With Meralco’s unwavering commitment to keeping the lights on, especially for the country’s critical digital infrastructure, more hyperscale data centers will soon be energized by Meralco.”
Mr. Aperocho also emphasized the company’s continued investments in smart and digital solutions – Smart Grid technologies that enable real-time monitoring and remote switching to minimize downtime and host an array of distributed energy resources that provide clean energy to power-hungry data centers.
Beyond the grid infrastructure, Meralco, as part of the One Meralco Group (MSpectrum, MSERV, and Radius), can offer end-to-end energy services and innovative solutions that may help data centers operate at optimum efficiency.
In his closing message, Mr. Aperocho said, “In our collective pursuit of advancing and elevating the hyperscale industry landscape of our nation, we pledge to continue providing innovative energy solutions and delivering efficient, value-added services that not only meet but exceed the evolving needs of our dynamic economic environment. Our dedication to this shared vision ensures a future where prosperity and progress are not just aspirations but tangible realities for our great nation.”
Hyperscalers and data centers/operators looking for a reliable end-to-end energy infrastructure solutions partner can contact a dedicated Meralco Enterprise Relationship Manager, email enterprise@meralco.com.ph, or call the hotline at 16210.
