Military, DILG help solve transmission line problem in Mindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (May 22): Military, DILG help solve transmission line problem in Mindanao

As an extension of their service to the country, members of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade (MIB) of the Philippine Army in Iligan City rendered their assistance to solve Right-of-Way (ROW) issues concerning the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP’s) transmission lines in Balo-i, Lanao Del Norte.

The military unit, through the directive of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 10, coordinated with more than 20 owners of the land traversed by the Agus 2 – Kibawe 138 kilovolt (kV) line of NGCP. Through this effort, the military aimed to convince the owners to allow NGCP to trim the trees that are breaching or about to breach the ROW clearances set by the system operator.

As reinforcement, the 2nd MIB also conducted information dissemination among the Municipal Peace and Order Council of Balo-i on the ROW problems and how these adversely affect the service delivery of NGCP.

Earlier this year, NGCP expressed its difficulty in maintaining the said transmission line due to the intentional planting of trees under the facilities which caused 20 outages in Lanao as of May.

“NGCP is thankful that the DILG and the military are helping curb ROW violations in Lanao Del Norte. We hope that this would be the start of a smoother operation and better community relations for us in the area,” NGCP Spokesperson Atty. Cynthia P. Alabanza said.

The Balo-i Substation and lines connected to it, including the Agus 2 – Kibawe 138 kV line, are crucial to the Mindanao grid because they carry the bulk of electricity produced by the government-owned generator Agus Complex. The said hydro power plant supplies 500 megawatts or around 60% of Mindanao’s power demand and 200 MW of which passes through NGCP’s Balo-i Substation and lines emanating from it.

NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid. NGCP transmits high-voltage electricity through “power superhighways” that include the interconnected system of transmission lines and towers, substations and related assets. NGCP’s regular maintenance activities and expansion projects aim to enhance the reliability and quality of electricity delivered to customers.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=526785