NGCP vows to further improve power capacity in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines has earmarked three priority transmission lines upgrading projects designed to improve the reliability of transmission services in the whole Province of Cebu.

Christian Ereno, head of NGCP-Visayas Transmission System Planning Divison, Planning and Engineering Department, said that the three projects include: the Calong-Calong (Naga City) to Toledo City to Colon (Naga City) transmission line project which has a 360MW capacity.

The other projects are the Colon (Naga City) to Cebu City transmission line with a capacity of 720MW and the Cebu City to Mandaue-Lapu-Lapu transmission line with a capacity of 1,200MW.

Phil Salarza, section head of NGCP-Visayas Project Division Engineering Construction Department, said that the Calong-Calong to Colon (Naga City) line was completed yesterday.

The Colon (Naga City) to Cebu City transmission line project is expected to be finished by the second week of September this year while the Cebu City to Mandaue-Lapu-Lapu project was temporarily suspended due to issues on road right of way in Mandaue City, said Salarza.

These transmission lines are new ones, which is on top of the existing transmission lines.

NGCP engineers said with the expansion of three transmission line projects, this would mean greater power capacity of the Visayas grid.  NGCP spokesperson, lawyer Cynthia Alabanza, said that they continue to expand and improve its capacity for Cebu to answer the demand for electricity to help Cebu continue to move forward. She said electricity is the mover of economy.

NGCP is a privately-owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country's power grid, which transmits high-voltage electricity through "power superhighways" that include the interconnected system of transmission lines, towers, substations, and related assets.

The NGCP officials were the resource speakers during the Cebu Association of City and Municipal Public Information Officers' three-day seminar on how to be effective communicators in their respective areas of jurisdiction. —/ATO (FREEMAN)