NGCP puts up P147M control center

National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has invested P147 million in building a new power control center for the Mindanao grid.

This is expected to result in a more efficient, reliable and secure grid operations in the area.

According to NGCP, the Mindanao Regional Control Center, which is based in Cagayan de Oro City, will serve as the nerve center for grid operations in Mindanao. It will be equipped with modern power monitoring and control systems.

The new building houses the so-called Scada/EMS systems and telecommunications equipment and the office of the Mindanao system operations, which was previously based in Iligan City.

Scada, or Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, refers to 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 facility for remote devices such as breakers.

The EMS, or Energy Management System, is composed of a Scada system with integrated advanced applications used in the management of the power grid.

The move to transfer the control center to the cities and away from the far-flung areas where they were usually located was patterned from the model used in China by one of NGCP’s owners, State Grid Corp. of China.

“Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City, was selected as the new site for being the nearest and most accessible to customers and stakeholders, an international airport, commercial amenities and military and police installations, which will be able to respond to any emergencies at once,” the NGCP said.