Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power) undertook a major proactive maintenance initiative over the weekend to mitigate widespread power outages caused by aging infrastructure.
In a statement, Negros Power said it replaced 132 sets of suspension insulators on 48 structures along a critical three-kilometer stretch of the 30-kilometer Bacolod-Silay 69KV sub-transmission line.
The maintenance involved replacing corroded, damaged and aging porcelain insulators with brand-new polymer insulators capable of withstanding high voltages and stormy weather.
Negros Power said that the work proved challenging for the line crews due to the sub-transmission line’s location traversing sugarcane plantations in the haciendas of Talisay and Silay cities.
This particular sub-transmission line, dating back to 1979, is connected to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) substation in Bacolod City, serving the Lopez, Panaogao, and Silay substations under Negros Power’s operation.
Negros Power president and chief executive officer Roel Castro highlighted the maintenance as a crucial step in addressing the ongoing issue of frequent outages.
“While this preventive maintenance is a necessary immediate solution, our long-term plan is to upgrade all the insulators of the 30 kilometers sub-transmission line and to relocate these lines along main roads, making maintenance and repairs more accessible and efficient in case of future outages,” Castro said.
In the past four months of Negros Power’s operations, the company has recorded nearly 10 incidents of line faults and wire downs involving this high-voltage line, primarily attributed to faulty and deteriorated insulators.
This proactive maintenance initiative is aimed at significantly reducing these occurrences and improving the reliability of power distribution to consumers, according to Negros Power. ||
