Napocor restores full power in Masbate

The National Power Corp. (Napocor) has fully restored electricity service in Masbate with the commissioning of 13 new generating units, bringing full power back to the island.

The commissioning of the 13 generating units to the island’s power grid was in response to President Arroyo’s directive to address the power situation in Masbate by July 31. It was a promise she made to the people of the province, which she reiterated in her State of the Nation Address last July 24.

Napocor’s Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) division manager for Catanduanes-Masbate-Albay operations Serafin D. Marcaida noted that the commissioning of the new generating units was ahead of schedule.

It brings to a total of 10 megawatts (MW) the dependable capacity now available to the island of Masbate, with three mW as back-up power.

Marcaida said that immediately after the delivery of the generating sets, a team of technical experts from General Electric and SPUG worked round-the-clock for the speedy commissioning of these sets.

"We had to undertake the necessary technical and operational tests, to make sure that the generating units will perform reliably and optimally; and that the units will, at the very least, meet our very high standards for power plant operations efficiency and reliability," the Napocor official said.

As early as July 25, Marcaida said four generating units were already put on-line, which brought power back to the city of Masbate. The other units underwent the meticulous process of testing and synchronization with the power grid.

The island province experienced a major deficiency in its power supply after Power Barge 105 caught fire, rendering it inoperable. Masbate is one of the areas being serviced by Napocor under its missionary electrification program, through the SPUG.

It operates Power Barge 105, which supplies more than 80 percent of the island’s total power requirements.

"Power generation in the SPUG areas will be opened for private investors as strategic partners that will help boost economic activity in these off-grid islands. This way, Napocor thru the SPUG, can concentrate its resources in further improving and increasing the reliability of transmission systems in these areas,", Napocor-SPUG vice president Lorenzo S. Marcelo said.

As one of the primary mandates of Napocor, missionary electrification, through the SPUG, has helped small islands not connected to the main grid access to electricity service.