CEBU, Philippines - The Visayan Electric Co. Inc.’s (Veco) project to improve its facilities includes replacing old wooden posts with either concrete or steel poles.
The new poles, with a height of up to 50 feet above ground, 6 percent of which is buried underground, are more durable than wooden poles which eventually rot or are infested with termites.
Fifty percent of VECO’s scheduled power outages are due to pole-replacement projects.
This is necessary to minimize accidents related to broken and fallen poles which are obvious public hazards.
Last year, VECO replaced 645 rotten wooden poles: 412 primary poles that were mostly along highways with 23kV lines and 233 secondary poles in interior roads with 220V lines.
A VECO pole is not only host to electrical lines but also other lines belonging to different telecommunication and cable companies.
VECO considers the safety of the location when erecting a pole. It has to be away from water pipes laid by the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) and other water providers. Poles should also be located only in areas where they don’t obstruct a driveway.
As Cebu progresses, VECO’s system expands and this requires new pole installations for new customers. Often, the system needs upgrading to meet the increased demand for capacity from the growing number of customers.
The opening or widening of roads in Cebu also necessitates the relocation of poles and electrical lines. — PR/JPM (FREEMAN)