NGCP to buttress PH power grid during Asean summit

The operators of the country’s power grid on Thursday unveiled contingency measures to help ensure that electricity supply will remain stable when world leaders visit the country for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit next week.

In a press statement, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines said it is set to activate its “Overall Command Center” from November 10 to 17, 2017 as part of its preparations to secure power transmission operations and facilities during the meetings which will also include a visit to the Philippines by US President Donald Trump.

“Contingency plans are in place to monitor and quickly address any grid disturbance,” NGCP said.

NGCP’s critical units, such as system operations (SO) and operations and maintenance (O&M) will remain fully staffed and operational throughout the critical November 13-15 period, even if those days have been declared as special non-working days for the National Capital Region.

Line crews, engineers, pilots, maintenance and testing, and other technical personnel are also strategically positioned in NGCP substations to respond to line trippings affecting Metro Manila, should these occur.

“NGCP’s integrated disaster action plan prescribes these and other measures to ensure the readiness of all power transmission facilities to be affected by emergencies or important national events,” the company said. “With its security and contingency preparations set, NGCP can ensure reliable power transmission services for the duration of the Asean Summit,” stated the company.

Meanwhile, the power system operator and transmission service provider has also implemented the necessary preparations and precautions to minimize the impact of Tropical Depression Salome on transmission operations and facilities.

Preparations included ensuring the reliability of communications equipment, availability of hardware materials and supplies necessary for the repair of damages to facilities, as well as the positioning of line crews in strategic areas, to facilitate immediate restoration work.

NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid, led by majority shareholders Henry Sy Jr. and Robert Coyiuto Jr. /je