Napocor switches on Catanduanes line

MANILA, Philippines - State-run National Power Corp. (Napocor) has switched on the 32-kilometer Codon to Virac 69 kV transmission line and the 10 MVA Virac substation to power up 55,000 households and reduce power interruptions in the province of Catanduanes.

The firm said the projects are priority items in the Missionary Electrification Development Plan (MEDP) of the Department of Energy as they would ensure a more reliable power supply in the province, specifically in load centers in southern Catanduanes such as the towns of Virac and San Andres.

The projects are expected to reduce power outages, improve power quality, and reduce system losses of the power distribution utility, the First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative. This will also improve electricity service for about 55,000 households in the province.

“Securing a more reliable and resilient transmission line in Catanduanes will also support the continuously increasing power demand. This will consequently heighten the province’s economic activities and rural tourism, thereby increasing productivity and uplifting the quality of life of Filipinos, which are the primary goal of the Duterte administration,” Napocor president and CEO Pio Benavidez said.

On top of the said completed and ongoing projects, Napocor has also lined up projects which will form part of the planned Catanduanes backbone transmission system.

“As we strengthen our commitment in upgrading our services in the islands, Napocor is set to bid out the 16-kilometer Virac to San Miguel 69 kV transmission line and the construction of another five MVA substation in the municipality of San Miguel,” Benavidez said.

The San Miguel substation also anticipates future connection point for the newly established Solong diesel power plant of the Sunwest Water and Electric Co. Inc.

Pending the private sector’s supply of the full power generation requirements of the province, Napocor continues to operate its SPUG plants – the Marinawa and Viga diesel and the Balongbong hydropower plants, which operate for 24 hours.

In 2016, Napocor added three new generating sets with an aggregate capacity of three megawatts to its Marinawa diesel power plant to meet the demand and further sustain its 24-hour operation.