ERC forms panel to probe tripping of NGCP’s submarine cable in Cebu
Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) / STOCK
MANILA, Philippines — The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is forming a technical working group to investigate an incident that affected a submarine cable of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines two years ago.
In its latest posting, the ERC said it approved the creation of a TWG to investigate the tripping of Line 2 of NGCP’s Cebu-Mandaue 138-kiloVolt (kV) underground power line in Mandaue City.
“There was already an initial assessment by [a] technical team, but the TWG is necessary to make sure not just technical but [also] legal and market-related issues are addressed as well, including [the] formulation of rules that would apply to similar incidents,” ERC chair Monalisa Dimalanta said on Thursday.
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The regulator said that the TWG is subject to revisions in composition, timelines, and scope of work.
Article continues after this advertisementAccording to the NGCP, its facility was hit by a backhoe of a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) contractor during excavation activities in Brgy. Umapad on Jan. 21, 2023.
Article continues after this advertisementIt had to temporarily divert up to 180 megawatts of the affected loads to the remaining Line 1 to restore transmission services to parts of franchise areas of the Visayan Electric Company (Veco) and Mactan Electric Company (Meco).
“We are coordinating with the DPWH on resolving this and other similar incidents and preventing further occurrences. NGCP is currently assessing the exact nature and extent of the damage, as this information is crucial in the repair of the said line,” NGCP said at that time.
“The availability of equipment, parts, and technical experts are also limiting factors. Nevertheless, we are fast-tracking restoration of the damaged line,” it added.
NGCP said foreign experts were tapped to determine the extent of damage and determine the timeline for repairing the Cebu-Mandaue line.
Repair works were initially estimated to be completed by May 2023. However, the grid operator energized the facility in June of the same year after completing repairs on the underground line.