Power firm upgrades outdated facilities inherited from Transco

Since it took over the operations and maintenance of the country’s power transmission network in 2009, NGCP has introduced major physical and technological upgrades to aging state-owned lines and facilities.

NGCP’s National Control Center, the heart of its nationwide transmission operations, received a much needed physical upgrade in 2012, from old CRT monitors and unreliable monitoring systems to the introduction of the Open3000 system. The application allows the synchronized operation of the three main grids (Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao) from only one platform, allowing efficient overall monitoring and quick response in case of system faults and grid disturbances.

The system forms the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), 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 facilities for remote devices such as breakers.

The Luzon Grid, accounting for more than 70% of the country’s total power demand, likewise earned a reinforced Backup Luzon Regional Control Center which duplicates the function of the National Control Center and its operations in times of emergency. Back-up Control Centers are also in place for the Visayas and Mindanao grids, ready to operate should the existing regional control centers be unable to carry its function. At the district level, upgraded District Command Centers manage and administer power transmission services at a provincial level.

While the physical upgrades have been set, protocols were also improved to increase operational efficiency and move away from the acquired traditional processes. As System Operator, a new unit was created solely to provide weather monitoring and report dissemination not only to internal groups, but also to other external agencies such as the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC.)

The creation of the Overall Command Center (OCMC) unburdens the grid dispatchers, who have previously held the function, and allows them to focus on the crucial role of maintaining and managing a stable grid, especially during typhoons and national events.

NGCP President and CEO Henry Sy, Jr. affirmed the company’s directive towards modernizing and creating a grid at par with its counterparts in Southeast Asia. “At NGCP, we dream big, so we can be big. There are no two ways about it.

Apart from a unified power grid, we want to revolutionize our entire transmission network to exceed those of our Asian neighbors. With every technical upgrade, every facility addition, every process modernization, we are getting there. We want to lead the way.”

Mr. Sy added, “It is NGCP’s duty to ensure the reliability of all its facilities. We want to be the best utility in Southeast Asia. We will begin this journey by upgrading the outdated facilities we inherited from TransCo and putting in place state of the art technology. Our customers can be assured that NGCP is continuously looking to improve its performance across all its functions that are part of its mandate.”  pr