CEBU, Philippines - The High Voltage Direct Current of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines will undergo a scheduled upgrading for 43 days starting today, August 16, and until September 27 but the public have a stable electrical supply.
In a text message, NGCP-Visayas spokesperson Betty Martinez quoted Raul Galano, head of NGCP Visayas System Operations, as saying that NGCP has enough power reserves to ensure that no brownout will happen during the upgrading work for the Luzon-Visayas HVDC link.
“Unless, of course, power plants will trip simultaneously especially the large ones,” the text message reads.
The HVDC electric power transmission system connects Luzon to Visayas and vice versa.
A source who asked for anonymity told The Freeman that the upgrading was first reported by NGCP to the power committee of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Within 43 days, Visayas will reportedly be isolated from Luzon and vice versa, the source said.
“Ang pasabot ani, Visayas cannot get power from Luzon in case magkuwang ta. While ang Luzon di sad makakuha og power from Visayas in case magkuwang sad sila og supply,”
the source said.
HVDC can carry up to 400mw from Visayas going to Luzon and 150mw from Luzon to the Visayas.
Visayas has about 1,500mw power demand, 800mw of which is for Cebu.
Based on NGCP’s Weekly Power Outlook for Visayas (August 15 to 21), gross power reserves for Saturday is 113mw, 171mw on Sunday, 52mw on Monday, 59mw on Tuesday, 49 mw on Wednesday and 193mw on Thursday.
The Visayas dependable power capacity is about 1,650mw and this capacity will increase by 82mw as the Toledo Power Plant is expected to be synchronized with the Cebu-Negros-Panay grid, tomorrow, August 17.
NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid.
NGCP transmits high-voltage electricity through “power superhighways” that include the interconnected system of transmission lines, towers, substations, and related assets.
NGCP’s regular maintenance acti-vities, expansion, and upgrading projects aim to enhance the reliability and quality of electricity delivered to grid-connected customers like generators, distributors, and large industries, the NGCP statement reads. —/JMO (FREEMAN)