Meralco, Aboitiz remain top customers of Napocor

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) remained as the National Power Corp.’s (Napocor) biggest customer with energy sales to the Lopez-owned utility of 14,197 gigawatt-hours (gwh) in 2007. 

In addition, data from Napocor’s Accounts Management Department showed that Davao Light & Power Co. (DLPC) in Mindanao and Visayan Electric Co. (VECO) in the Visayas consistently ranked second and third, respectively, among state-owned power generation’s top customers in 2007.

VECO and DLPC are both owned and operated by the Aboitiz Group of Companies. 

Energy sales to DLPC reached 1,414 gwh from October 2006 to September 2007, while sales to VECO registered at 1,365 gwh during the same 12-month period.

The country’s largest power distribution firm, Meralco supplies the electricity requirements of the entire Metro Manila area and the adjacent provinces of Bulacan, Cavite and Rizal.

With a customer base of more than four million, the Lopez-owned utility accounts for almost 40 percent of Napocor’s yearly energy sales.

VECO on the other hand services more than 275,000 customers in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Talisay, and five municipalities in Metro Cebu, while DLPC holds the franchise to supply electricity to the cities of Davao and Panabo, and to the municipalities of Carmen, Dujali and Sto. Tomas in Davao del Norte.

Also included in the top 10 list of Napocor customers were: Cagayan Electric Power & Light Co. (667 gwh); Batangas II Electric Cooperative (551 gwh); Central Negros Electric Cooperative (546 gwh); and Southern Cotabato II Electric Cooperative (530 gwh); Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (458 gwh); Cavite Ecozone (386 gwh) and San Fernando Electric Light & Power Co. (381gwh).

In the industrial category, Napocor’s biggest customer in 2007 was Philippine Associated Smelting & Refining Corp. (PASAR), which registered energy sales of 250 gwh. Located in Leyte, PASAR owns and operates the only copper smelter and refinery in the Philippines. 

Other big industrial customers were Holcim Phils. (189 gwh); Philippine Sinter Corp. (186 gwh); Philex Mining Corp. (166 gwh); Northern Cement Corp. (161 gwh); and Treasure Steelworks Corp. (116 gwh).