Napocor energizes Codon-Virac transmission line

July 21, 2017, 6:31 pm

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1002222

MANILA, July 21 -- The National Power Corp. (Napocor) on Friday held a ceremonial switch-on of the 32-km., 69-kilovolt (kV) Codon to Virac transmission line and the 10-megavolt ampere (MVA) Virac Substation in Catanduanes province.

The projects, which are priority items in the Missionary Electrification Development Plan (MEDP) of the Department of Energy (DOE), will ensure a more reliable power supply in the province, specifically in load centers in southern Catanduanes, such as the towns of Virac and San Andres.

These projects are expected to reduce power outages, improve power quality, and reduce system losses of the power distribution utility, the First Catandaunes Electric Cooperative (FICELCO), to improve electricity service for about 55,000 households in the province.

“Securing a more reliable and resilient transmission line in Catanduanes will also support the continuously increasing power demand. This will consequently heighten the province’s economic activities and rural tourism, thereby increasing productivity and uplifting the quality of life of Filipinos, which are the primary goal of the Duterte administration,” Napocor president and CEO Pio Benavidez said in a news release issued Friday.

Benavidez also led the groundbreaking ceremony of the 5-MVA Codon Substation in San Andres, Catanduanes, and announced the corporation’s pipeline projects in the province.

“As we strengthen our commitment in upgrading our services in the islands, Napocor is set to bid out the 16-km. Virac to San Miguel 69-kV transmission line and the construction of another 5-MVA substation in the municipality of San Miguel,” he said, adding that the new projects would form part of the planned Catanduanes backbone transmission system.

The San Miguel substation, he said, also anticipates future connection point for the newly established Solong Diesel Power Plant of the Sunwest Water and Electric Company Inc.

Pending the private sector’s supply of the full power generation requirements of the province, Napocor continues to operate its Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) plants -- the Marinawa and Viga diesel and the Balongbong hydropower plants, which operate 24 hours.

Last year, Napocor added three new generating sets with an aggregate capacity of 3 MW to its Marinawa diesel power plant to meet the demand and further sustain its round-the-clock operation.

Meanwhile, Napocor also operates a small power plant in the island of Palumbanes, off the northwestern coast of the province, serving more than 100 households with eight hours of electricity.

NPC is a government-owned and -controlled corporation mandated to perform the missionary electrification function through the SPUG. It is responsible for providing power generation and its associated power delivery systems in areas that are not connected to the main transmission system. (Napocor PR)