Transco completes Boracay power transmission line

The National Transmission Corp. (Transco) completed early this week the 69 kilovolt (kV) Nabas-Caticlan transmission line that would help sustain the power needs of Boracay island in the next 15 years.

Energy Secretary Vincent S. Perez said this will stabilize the power services of Boracay residents and businesses.

The completion of the P100-million transmission line was ahead of schedule as it was originally targeted to be finished by October 2003.

Sources, however, revealed that there is still another problem being faced by the Boracay island.

"The Transco has done its job. But the Akelco (Aklan Electric Cooperative) should be able to finish its Caticlan sub-station to allow the smooth flow of power from Caticlan to Boracay," the sources said. Akelco is now under the supervision of the National Electrification Administration (NEA).

It was learned that the Akelco people are encountering some problems in building the five to 10 MVA sub-station.

"Their (Akelco) people are experiencing some technical problem but they are conducting a test right now," the sources said.

The sources said the existing 13.2 kilometer submarine cable is enough to sustain the flow of power from Caticlan to Boracay.

There are plans to put up another one to 10 kilometer submarine cable to be funded by the World Bank.

Aside from the substation, NEA has worked for the fasttracking of the construction of distribution lines from the Caticlan substation to Taban which will serve as the take-off point of the Caticlan-Boracay submarine cable, as well as the installation of the seven-kilometer of three-phase liens and 10-km of single-phase lines that would improve the quality of electricity and minimize fluctuations in the whole island.

The 10 MVA substation in Caticlan will upgrade the voltage level and thus ensure the reliability of supply.