NGCP upgrades facilities

MANILA, Philippines - More transmission facilities were upgraded by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) to provide stable power supply in La Union province.

NGCP said it recently overhauled and strengthened two transmission lines, the Bauang – Bacnotan and Bacnotan-San Esteban 230 kV lines in La Union.

The grid operator said Northern Luzon customers are expected to have a stable, more reliable network of transmission facilities.

The upgrade, implemented in the traversed areas of Bitalag, Calautit, and Narra in Bacnotan, La Union, involves the replacement of wood poles to steel structures including 11 towers.

“The wood poles NGCP replaced, totalling 75 structures, were all second hand and constructed in the late 1990s, back when the transmission business was still handled by the government,” NGCP said.

 “With the new structures, we can now retire these wood poles. We are now focused on how we can further enhance the grid not only for our Northern Luzon customers, but for every customer connected to the power grid,” it said.

The latest system upgrade is part of the Bacnotan Tap-Bacnotan Substation transmission project.

Earlier, NGCP energized and commissioned a new 100-MVA power transformer in its Tuguegarao Substation, which will benefit customers from Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga, and Apayao provinces.

NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of the country’s power grid.

The consortium, which holds the 25-year concession contract to operate the country’s power transmission network, comprised of Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp. led by Henry Sy Jr., Calaca High Power Corp. led by Robert Coyiuto Jr., and the State Grid Corp. of China (SGCC) as technical partner.