• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Primelectric Holdings Incorporated (PHI), parent company of Negros Power in Negros Occidental, MORE Power in Iloilo and Bohol light in Bohol, is looking into the adoption of power distribution system of KEPCO (Korean Electric Power Corporation), in its drive to further improve consumer services.
Officials of PHI led by its president and CEO, Roel Castro, recently traveled to Seoul, South Korea, and visited the Transmission and Distribution Headquarters of KEPCO, recognized globally as the World’s Best in Transmission and Distribution Efficiency.
The visit underscores Primelectric’s strategy to engage directly with key suppliers as it pursues its expansion plans across the Philippines.
KEPCO presented how it maintains its remarkably low system loss of 3.53 percent and system average incident frequency index of just 0.6 percent per year — a clear indication that the utility experiences almost zero unscheduled power interruptions across its network, according to a statement issued by Primelectric.
A major contributor to this performance is South Korea’s use of modern equipment and high-tech facilities, which significantly boost efficiency and reliability.
As of this time, 12.3 percent of its distribution lines are already underground, particularly in commercial districts; all lines are fully insulated, and thousands of automatic circuit reclosers (ACRs) are installed with the capability to reconnect power within just one second.
The delegation was also shown unmanned substations, control panels, switches, ACRs, and other equipment — most of which are fully digitized and remotely operated.
KEPCO likewise demonstrated its ability to conduct live line maintenance works, which no longer require power shutdowns.
Primelectric officials also expressed admiration for KEPCO’s strict implementation of safety standards, particularly its use of specialized safety gear and protocols to protect linemen and technical personnel.
According to Castro, this benchmarking mission will significantly influence the direction of Primelectric and its operating units—MORE Power, Negros Power, and Bohol Light—as well as other potential expansion areas in the Philippines.
“What we saw in KEPCO is not just technology, but a mindset—a culture of efficiency, reliability, and safety. This is the level of service we want to bring to our consumers,” Castro said in a press statement.
“We plan to send our engineers to the KEPCO Academy to speed up the adoption of modernized systems and familiarize them with world-class equipment.” Castro said.
“Seeing the precision and scale of operation firsthand is invaluable. This isn’t just a supplier visit; it’s an alignment of vision for reliability and technological excellence that our growing customer base in the Philippines requires,” he added.
With the delegation’s return to the Philippines, Primelectric said it aims to implement the modern practices it learned—phase by phase—to steadily move toward world-class standards in the country’s power distribution sector.*
