NGCP reactivates ‘contingency team’ for tropical storm ‘Nona’

by Myrna Velasco December 14, 2015

http://www.mb.com.ph/ngcp-reactivates-contingency-team-for-tropical-storm-nona/

Power transmission service provider National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) will bring back into action and re-deploy on field its contingency team to minimize whatever adverse impact tropical storm “Nona” would have on the country’s electricity system.

The company, in a statement to the media, has assured that it “implemented the necessary preparations and precautions” on the anticipated strike of a new weather stress in some parts of the country this week.

As of 11am on Monday, NGCP has reported that its transmission facilities in Eastern Samar had already been affected by the tropical storm. Inspection and restoration at 69-kilovolt Wright-Taft transmission line was being undertaken as of press time.

It emphasized that its preparations covered “ensuring the reliability of communications equipment, availability of hardware materials and supplies necessary for the repair of damages to facilities.”

The others delved with “positioning of line crews in strategic areas to facilitate immediate restoration work.”

This kind of ‘team field call’ had been integrated in the overall Integrated Disaster Action Plan (IDAP) of NGCP, which fleshes out the preparedness track and strategy of the company of which facilities are often affected by the scourge of extreme weather events.

NGCP’s regional command centers are often galvanized to fast-track necessary restoration works to ease end-users’ anguish over prolonged electricity service interruptions.

The company has operating units across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao grids – and depending on where the weather distress will whip, these command centers are being readied for deployment.

“NGCP’s overall disaster command center monitors all power restoration activities, reports and updates from the regional command centers in North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, whichever is directly affected by the weather disturbance,” the company said.

Preparedness to disasters had been among the areas wherein power facilities were observed to have stepped up on their response mechanisms.

With the country already battered by the “worst of natural calamities” hitting the world, Philippine power companies have grown resilient when it comes to dealing with service restoration on their networks and facilities.