Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi has convened the Inter-Agency Task Force on Securing Energy Facilities (IATSEF) to coordinate the restoration of the power services in affected areas of the toppled tower in Mindanao.
Cusi made the directive following the attack on Transmission Tower 106 along Kibawe and Sultan Kudarat by suspected terrorists at 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, a member of the IATSEF, managed to tap an alternative power transmission line to temporarily supply the needed electricity.
After the bombing of Tower 106, power was temporarily sourced from an alternative route through the Tacurong 69kV line. Because of this, the voltage was being maintained at 45MW due to load limitation.
NGCP also reported that a rotating load curtailment is being implemented in the franchise areas of Maguindanao Electric Cooperative, Cotabato Electric Cooperative, and Palma and Cotelco Light and Power to maintain the delivery of power services in the affected areas.
The Department of Energy said a bypass line is being constructed through an excavation for anchors and the setting up of two sets of Emergency Restoration System from the Baloi Substation to improve delivery service.
The department said completion of the other significant restoration works may take two more days, according to NGCP.
Cusi also reminded the IATSEF to ensure the safety of the personnel performing the restoration works and asked law enforcers to investigate and arrest the bombers.
NGCP said bombings only serve to increase the burden of the public, “which must suffer through service interruptions when towers are bombed,” he said.
NGCP appealed to the local and national government, local community leaders, and the public, to help identify the perpetrators of the bombings, and to negotiate with uncooperative landowners, to prevent longer power interruptions.
In March, Tower #138 of NGCP’s Kibawe-Kabacan 138kV line in Brgy. Kayaga, Kabacan, Cotabato was also bombed, the first attack of its transmission towers in 2017. Fortunately, there was no major damage on the tower.
The company said bombings only serve to increase the burden of the public, which must suffer through service interruptions when towers are bombed.
NGCP’s transmission towers were subject to bombings several times last year and asked government to help protect crucial energy infrastructures.
NGCP also said that right of way issues also needed to be addressed to fast-track the repair and completion of transmission projects.
NGCP is a privately-owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid. It transmits high-voltage electricity through “power superhighways” that include the interconnected system of transmission lines, towers, substations, and related assets.
The consortium, which holds the 25-year concession contract to operate the country’s power transmission network, is comprised of Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp. led by Henry Sy, Jr., Calaca High Power Corp. led by Robert Coyiuto, Jr., and the State Grid Corporation of China as technical partner.