NGCP wraps up blackout simulation drills

MANILA, Philippines - The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has completed its annual blackout simulation drills for the Luzon and Mindanao power grids.

NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza said they would be conducting similar drills for the Visayas grid in July.

The drills, which involve tabletop exercises and actual blackstart restoration, were done in compliance with the Philippine Grid Code.

Alabanza said evacuation and other emergency procedures also formed part of system operations contingency preparedness plan in the event of disasters such as earthquakes, flash floods and other acts of nature.

The tabletop exercise for the Luzon grid was attended by more than 300 participants coming from NGCP’s system operations and operation and maintenance substation groups, as well as various power agencies such as the Department of Energy, Energy Regulatory Commission, Meralco, Grid Management Committee, Distribution Management Committee spot market trading participants.

Alabanza said they also held workshop where participants reviewed and revisited the existing blackstart recovery procedures based on the specified power restoration highways such as Metro Manila, Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and the Bicol sub-grids.

Meanwhile, NGCP also supported the completion of the Agno River Flood Forecasting and Warning System (FFWS) Rosales, Pangasinan.

NGCP provided the lot for the construction of Pagasa’s 20 meter-high communication tower at NGCP’s Cuyapo Repeater Station in Nueva Ecija.

The communication tower will serve as the main relay station in North Luzon which will connect various Pagasa equipment and facilities like radars, automatic weather stations, synoptic and hydromet stations to their main office in Quezon City.