MANILA, Philippines—The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines has restored one of the transmission lines most heavily damaged by Supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan), stabilizing power supply to the resort island of Boracay, a popular tourist destination.
SCREENGRAB from www.ngcp.ph
The Panit-an – Nabas 138-kilovolt (kV) line was energized on May 25, the NGCP said.
Traversing two provinces on the island of Panay, namely Capiz and Aklan, the Panit-an-Nabas 138kV transmission line was one of the most heavily damaged facilities of the NGCP during the passage of “Yolanda” last November. NGCP said that 132 towers of the line were toppled, temporarily disconnecting three electric cooperatives and nine municipalities, including Caticlan and Boracay Island, from the Panay grid.
As an immediate remedy, NGCP said, it rerouted the connections of the three electric cooperatives through its Panit-an-Nabas 69-kV line and constructed Emergency Restoration System structures to temporarily replace the damaged backbone.
NGCP said the restoration of the temporary line eases the load on the 69-kV transmission line for more reliable power transmission on Panay island.
Together with Aklan Electric Cooperative, Inc. or AKELCO, NGCP assured customers that it was doing everything to complete the project and ensure reliable power voltage in one of the country’s most visited destinations. NGCP said it reported the restoration of the temporary line to members of the Boracay Foundation, Inc. on May 16.
The permanent line, meanwhile, has yet to be built and is still in the design stage. NGCP is set to construct new towers to permanently replace the 132 damaged towers.
“We are already in the process of re-engineering and redesigning the new towers that can withstand higher wind speed,” NGCP president and CEO Henry Sy, Jr. said earlier.
NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid through high-voltage electricity or “power superhighways.”
The system includes the interconnected transmission lines, towers, substations, and related assets. NGCP’s regular maintenance activities, expansion projects, and typhoon restoration aims to enhance the reliability and quality of electricity delivered to grid-connected customers like generators, distributors, and large industries.
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