Negros Power’s Mobile Substation: The Key to Restoring Bacolod’s Alijis Feeders
Bacolod City – The lights are back on! After a tremendous effort, Negros Electric and Power Corporation (Negros Power) has successfully restored electricity to more than 47,000 customers affected by the outage at the Alijis Substation in Bacolod City, bringing a sense of relief and reassurance to the community.
Mobile Substation: A Quick Response to a Major Problem
On Monday at around 10 a.m., Negros Power managed to fully energize the Alijis Substation and deliver power to the affected areas. This was made possible by deploying a 10 MegaVolt Ampere (MVA) mobile substation, brought in from Iloilo City, and connecting it to the feeders of other substations.
The mobile substation, with a 12 MegaWatts (MW) capacity, is more than enough to handle the 9.3 MW demand of Alijis Feeders 1 and 3. Alijis Feeder 3 endured nearly five days of rotating power outages due to a supply shortage from the Murcia substation.
No More Rotational Brownouts
With the Mobile Substation up and running, power has been fully restored, and those dreaded rotational brownouts are no longer necessary. However, a few feeders at the Alijis substation are still connected to nearby substations. This will remain the case until September 2, when Negros Power is set to energize a new 18 MVA power transformer.
Taking Risks to Restore Power
Roel Z. Castro, President and CEO of Negros Power, shared that bringing in the 10 MVA Mobile Station from MORE Power in Iloilo City was a significant risk. “It’s a risky move since it’s an asset of our sister company, but we had to do it because restoring electricity to Bacolod City’s residents was our top priority,” Castro explained.
Castro acknowledged that the situation could have been better but emphasized the company’s commitment to making things suitable for consumers. “We’re not happy with what happened, but we’re dedicated to improving the situation. All we ask is for some time, space, and trust. We will prove ourselves,” he added.
Addressing an Aging Infrastructure
The blackout began on August 21 due to the failure of a 13-year-old power transformer, prompting an early rehabilitation. Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated incident; six other substations in the area, previously owned by Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO), are also showing signs of aging and are operating at critical levels. Negros Power has pledged to prioritize their rehabilitation as part of a 2 billion peso, five-year development plan aimed at upgrading Central Negros’ electric distribution system.
The Bigger Picture: Modernization and Rehabilitation
The early failure of the 13-year-old power transformer on August 21 pushed Negros Power to initiate rehabilitation efforts ahead of schedule. This transformer is one of six substations that were previously under Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) and are now in critical condition. Negros Power plans to prioritize their rehabilitation as part of their ₱2 billion five-year development plan for Central Negros.
Negros Power and CENECO have teamed up under a Joint Venture Agreement to address the financial needs of rehabilitating and modernizing the electric distribution assets to meet the growing power demands of consumers. Starting August 1, at CENECO’s request, Negros Power began deploying personnel to support the management and operations of CENECO’s distribution system, which Negros Power recently acquired.
Power is back, and with Negros Power’s commitment, the future looks brighter for the residents of Bacolod City.
More Article about Negros Power:
Negros Power Brings Relief to BACIWA with New Generator Sets
Negros Power’s Takeover: A Timely Solution to CENECO’s Power Woes