15 firms vie for Meralco’s 200 MW
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has attracted strong market interest for its 200-megawatt (MW) baseload power supply requirement.
Fifteen generation companies offered a combined capacity of 725 MW under the utility’s latest Competitive Selection Process (CSP).
The CSP mechanism is designed to encourage competition among suppliers, with the goal of securing power at the least cost to consumers while ensuring reliability and sustainability.
In a statement on Wednesday, Meralco said the procurement is intended to support its compliance with the Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), a policy that requires distribution utilities to source a portion of their electricity from renewable energy.
The interested firms have been invited to participate in a prebid conference scheduled for Jan. 15. Meralco set the bid submission deadline on Feb. 16, marking the next key milestone in the procurement process.
Lawrence Fernandez, chair of Meralco’s bids and awards committee for power supply agreements, said the level of interest reflects market confidence in the company’s procurement framework.
“The strong interest we received reflects confidence in Meralco’s procurement process,” Fernandez said.
“We look forward to receiving competitive and compliant bids that will support our efforts to deliver reliable, sustainable and least-cost electricity to our customers,” he added.
The CSP will result in a four-year power supply agreement covering Meralco’s 200-MW baseload supply needs.
Baseload supply refers to electricity that can be delivered consistently over extended periods, providing stability to the grid.
Supply deliveries are slated to begin on Jan. 26, subject to approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission.
Meralco said the procurement is being conducted in line with its Department of Energy-approved Power Supply Procurement Plan. This outlines the utility’s strategy for securing adequate and reliable power supply while meeting policy and regulatory requirements.
For Meralco, securing supply from renewable sources supports both system reliability and compliance with clean energy mandates.
