The Negros Electric and Power Corp. (Negros Power) conducted a proactive maintenance on the Bacolod-Silay 69-kilovolt (kV) sub-transmission line Jan. 12 as part of rehabilitation works for the aging distribution system in central Negros.
The 40-year-old facility is a vital artery for electricity distribution in Negros Island, bringing power from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) substation in Bacolod to the Panaogao, Talisay, and Lopez substations in the two neighboring cities.
“This is part of the rehabilitation and modernization efforts under our five-year distribution development plan,” Leomel Tambanillo, assistant vice president for planning and business operations, said in an interview.
The line maintenance operation, which caused power interruption in Talisay and Silay from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 12, aims to “eliminate unscheduled power outages and ensure reliable electricity for the customers”.
“We started the repair in December. We replaced the insulators. We saw that many of the insulators were already defective, some are even rusty,” Tambanillo said.
The current maintenance effort focused on Segment P of the 30-kilometer line, spanning about 4.9 kilometers and comprising 43 structures.
An estimated 130 insulators were replaced, following last month’s completed repairs and replacement of hundreds of pin insulators on the first segment, which is six kilometers long.
The entire 30-km line is divided into seven segments.
Negros Power deployed 15 teams Sunday to conduct the repairs and ensure timely completion of the maintenance work.
In a statement, network development and operations group head Mervin Dalian said the location of the 69kV sub-transmission line, which traverses sugarcane plantations, makes it vulnerable to damage during inclement weather and difficult to access during repairs.
“This sub-transmission line facility is 40 years old. The accessories are almost worn out and substandard, and currently cannot accommodate the electricity and voltage requirements. We need to make solutions as soon as possible,” he added.
Dalian said Negros Power plans to conduct similar maintenance activities on the remaining segments in the coming weekends to complete the upgrade by February.
“We understand that power outages can be disruptive. We apologize for any inconvenience this maintenance may cause, but we need to do this to make our lines robust and reliable,” he said.
Negros Power, the joint venture partner of Central Negros Electric Cooperative, distributes electricity to the cities of Bacolod, Silay, Talisay, and Bago, as well as to the municipalities of Don Salvador Benedicto and Murcia.
On July 26, 2024, it was granted a 25-year franchise and started full operation in November with a capital outlay of P2.1 billion to implement a five-year distribution development plan. | PNA
