Transco saves P25M from replacement poles

The National Transmission Corp. (Transco) said it would save up to P25 million this year as it replaced some of its aging wood poles with more cost-effective recycled steel poles.

The use of recycled poles complements Transco’s P600-million program to replace its wood poles with new-generation steel poles.

"I have always believed in the resourcefulness and ingenuity of Transco’s workforce. They are constantly looking for alternative ways to increase the reliability of the transmission network," Transco president and chief executive officer Alan T. Ortiz said.

Transco’s vice president for Luzon operation and maintenance Guillermo R. Redoblado said they have started implementing the project in Bicol, Batangas and Quezon where the 69-kilovolt lines are often hit by typhoons.

The recycled yet sturdy steel poles are made from the retired towers’ steel parts which are welded and bolted together.

As of the third quarter this year, some 637 old wood poles in Luzon have been replaced with recycled steel poles, 24 percent higher than the target number of 515.

Transco had earlier announced that it shall be implementing a 10-year program to modernize its electricity transmission assets nationwide by replacing its aging wood poles with new steel poles. This is in line with Transco’s zero outage program which aims to minimize outages in areas covered by the transmission firm.

"We shall be using the new steel poles as soon as they are delivered this December but we remain open to creative and more economical solutions to boost the reliability and stability of the power network, especially at this time when we are expecting growing power demand with the coming Christmas and New Year holidays," Ortiz said.

To further ensure the reliability of the grid, Transco is also implementing a contingency measure which will provide for back-up lines for crucial transmission lines.

Transco’s National Control Center, which features a state-of-the-art energy management and telecommunications system, is also being fully utilized to further improve coordination among substations.

Among Transco’s long-term transmission projects for implementation are the $68.50 million Leyte-Cebu interconnection uprating project recently awarded to Japanese consortium Kanematsu-J Power Systems and the Cebu-Negros-Panay, Cebu-Mactan, Panay-Boracay, Cebu-Bantayan, and Leyte-Bohol interconnection uprating projects also in the Visayas.