NGCP readies 24/7 operations for May polls

MANILA, Philippines — The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) will activate the 24/7 operations of its Overall Command Center early next month as part of its preparations to secure power transmission operations and facilities during the May elections.

As early as February, NGCP’s Power Task Force Elections (PTFE), a special team formed to ensure the security and reliability of the transmission network across the country during the elections, already set out with preparatory activities. This includes coordination with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and other government agencies on new directives on the activation of their respective contingency plans.

NGCP’s own contingency plans are in place to monitor and immediately address any grid disturbance.

With the help of the Comelec and in coordination with the Armed Forces and police, NGCP has been conducting clearing operations on overgrown vegetation along critical transmission lines across the country. NGCP sought the assistance of these agencies especially for areas that are hard to reach or with security concerns.

Maintenance works and construction activities inside substations and within 300 meters of energized power lines will be suspended from May 2 to 16, while activities which require power interruptions will be suspended from April 24 to May 8, except in emergency cases. Corrective works that may cause major grid disturbance, line inspection or clearing are also targeted to be completed before April 30.

NGCP will issue advisories on the power situation every four hours, which may vary depending on the situation on the ground. Despite the declaration of May 9 as a special non-working day, NGCP’s critical units, particularly System Operations (SO) and Operations and Maintenance (O&M), will remain fully staffed and operational. Line crews, engineers, pilots, maintenance and testing, and other technical personnel are also strategically positioned in substations to respond to line trippings, if any. Administrative and other support teams will also remain on duty.

The Overall Command Center is already currently activated with personnel on duty from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Sunday, including holidays, monitoring grid disturbances and the overall power situation. Personnel manning the Regional and Area Control Centers, critical substations, and the quick response team will be on 24-hour shifts, with twice the number of personnel on duty, from May 8 to 10.

“Our Integrated Disaster Action Plan (IDAP) prescribes these and other measures to ensure the readiness of all power transmission facilities to be affected by emergencies during important national events. With its security and contingency preparations set, NGCP can ensure reliable power transmission services before, during, and after the election date,” the company said.

NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid, led by majority shareholders and vice chairman Henry Sy Jr. and co-vice chairman Robert Coyiuto Jr.