NGCP continues to modernize power grid

By Danessa Rivera (The Philippine Star) | Updated April 19, 2017 - 12:00am

http://www.philstar.com/business/2017/04/19/1691517/ngcp-continues-modernize-power-grid

MANILA, Philippines - The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) is modernizing the nation’s power grid to be at par with peers and eventually surpass counterparts in the region.

The grid operator’s directive is to unify the power grid and revolutionize the entire transmission network to exceed those of Asian neighbors, NGCP president and CEO Henry Sy Jr. said in a statement.

“It is NGCP’s duty to ensure the reliability of all its facilities. We want to be the best utility in Southeast Asia. We will begin this journey by upgrading the outdated facilities we inherited from TransCo and put in place state of the art technology. Our customers can be assured NGCP is continuously looking to improve its performance across all its functions that are part of its mandate,” he said.

Since it took over the operations and maintenance of the country’s power transmission network in 2009, NGCP said it has introduced major physical and technological upgrades to ageing state-owned lines and facilities.

In 2012, it upgraded the National Control Center, the heart of its nationwide transmission operations, from old CRT monitors and unreliable monitoring systems to the Open3000 system, which synchronizes the operation of the three main grids

The system forms the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), a collection of computers, equipment, and application software integrated into a system to acquire real-time data on power system parameters and to provide monitoring and control facilities for remote devices such as breakers.

This allows efficient overall monitoring and quick response in case of system faults and grid disturbances.

The Luzon Grid, accounting for more than 70 percent of the country’s total power demand, also earned a reinforced Backup Luzon Regional Control Center which duplicates the function of the National Control Center and its operations in times of emergency.

NGCP has also put in place Back-up Control Centers for the Visayas and Mindanao grids should the existing regional control centers be unable to carry its function.

At the district level, upgraded District Command Centers manage and administer power transmission services at a provincial level.

Apart from physical upgrades, NGCP said protocols were also improved to increase operational efficiency and move away from the acquired traditional processes.

As system operator, it created Overall Command Center (OCMC) to provide weather monitoring and report dissemination not only to internal groups, but also to other external agencies such as the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The creation of the Overall Command Center (OCMC) unburdens the grid dispatchers, who had previously held the function, and allows them to focus on the crucial role of maintaining and managing a stable grid, especially during typhoons and national events.