Bohol is N-1 ready-NGCP

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 25, (PIA) –Bohol is N-1 ready, declared National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) through Engineer James Rodriguez. 

By N-1, Rodrigues means even if NGCP performs systemic audits and preventive maintenance to its transmission lines and substations in the island, some parts of Bohol would still have power.

Rodriguez sits as the NGCP Bohol Backbone Transmission Project (BBTP) manager, one which provides alternative power lines where generated power could get to Bohol distribution utilities before these are distributed to households. 

Then, a single 69 kilovolt (KV) line receives the additional power requirements the islands industries need, these are then coursed through local distribution utilities like the Bohol Electric Company (BOHECO) 1 and 2 and Bohol Light Utilities Incorporated for most parts of Tagbilaran and Dauis. 

But during the necessary preventive maintenance and systems audit which the NGCP performs, the need for a power shutdown, inconvenience many consumers, and not to mention that lost investments incurred in the temporary power outage. 

To remedy the situation and to prepare for the projected exciting activities for the local economy, the government drew the BBTP. 

The project aims to accommodate load growth in support of the socio-economic development of the province; improve voltage levels in Bohol as prescribed by the Philippine Grid Code; and enhance system reliability, provide operational flexibility, and maintain power quality delivered to electricity users, according to NGCP officials.

Completed a year ago, the BBTP now provides an alternative route for generated power through high tension overhead cables from Ubay, where the Visayas Grid supply enters to a substation in Corella, one that can bypass the older 69 KV lines, explains Engr Rodriguez. 

This means, even if we shut down the 69 KV line, or N-1, there is still power in Bohol, he explained. 

According to Engr Rodriguez, the N-1 ready status, has been attained after the NGCP has completed its BBTP, a 95 kilometer 138 kilovolts (KV) overhead transmission lines strung on steel cables from Ubay to Corella, where a new 100 megavolt amperes substation is now in place. 

Now set for full commissioning by August 2, the BBTP allows the NGCP to do preventive maintenance to its lines and substations without totally depriving Bohol the power it would need for its daily businesses to operate, Rodriguez said. (RAC/PIABOHOL)