TransCo restores damaged Sucat line

The National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) has completed repair works on the 230-kilovolt Sucat-Araneta transmission line whose breakdown led to power outages in most part of Metro Manila.

The line was damaged last Friday  by a tower crane in a construction site in Sta. Mesa, Quezon City.

“We re-energized the line at 9:47 a.m. Sunday after repairing the damaged cable,” TransCo’s senior VP and chief operating officer Jesusito Sulit said. 

The 29.25-kilometer Sucat-Araneta line stretches from the Sucat substation in Paranaque City to the Araneta substation in Sta. Mesa. The line serves as the shortest route of power delivery between the power plants in South Luzon and the Manila Electric Co.’s north sector load center in Metro Manila.

This line is considered one of the most critical links in Luzon serving Metro Manila because it transports the much needed power from the coal-fired, gas and geothermal power plants in South Luzon which are being maximized because of lower generation costs in the area when compared with North Luzon plants.

Without the line, the smooth flow of electricity from the south would be hampered. TransCo’s N-1 capability, or the ability of the power grid to withstand the loss of a major line without any customer experiencing a power interruption, would also be affected.

Sulit has urged building contractors, especially those constructing high-rise buildings to exercise extra care when working near transmission and distribution lines. 

“As what we have seen last Friday, a single incident could adversely affect millions of people. Building contractors should inform us so we could make necessary arrangements including placement of protective covers on our lines,” he added.  

Sulit said as an added deterrent against similar incidents in the future, TransCo will further intensify coordination with building officials of local government units especially in major cities nationwide.