PAGADIAN
CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (Oct. 8, 2016) - A bunch of intentionally and
maliciously planted banana trees caused the tripping of the Agus 5-Aurora
138-kV line and subsequent tripping of the Baloi-Aurora 138-kV line on 15
September 2016. These trippings caused the blackout of the entire Zamboanga
peninsula, including areas served by distribution utilities ZAMSURECO I,
ZAMSURECO II, ZANECO, ZAMCELCO, MOELCI I, MOELCI II, and parts of LANECO, at 11:37AM.
The lines were restored on the same day at 12:01PM.
Elizabeth
Ladaga, Regional Corporate Communications and Public
Affairs Officer, in the press release dated Oct. 3, 2016 disclosed that NGCP
conducted right-of-way clearing activities on both lines last February 2016,
except at the area between towers 29 and 30 of the Agus 5-Aurora 138-kV line
located in the property of a landowner who refused access for maintenance
activities. These uncut and untrimmed trees, apart from violating right-of-way
clearances, reached a height that caused the line-to-ground fault and
subsequent tripping. Traces of burned plants were found in the area owned by a
certain Mr. Eliezar Olaier.
NGCP
warned that blackouts are inevitable especially when landowners continue to
maliciously plant trees and build structures within the ROW clearances, and
demand exorbitant amounts before allowing NGCP access to the property. “While
NGCP is exerting all efforts to provide quality power transmission services to
all its customers, these will be futile if we continue to encounter delays not
just in new projects, but even during regular maintenance activities,” stressed
NGCP.
The
system operator continues its appeal for support from the LGUs, local community
leaders, and the public to negotiate with difficult landowners, to prevent
longer power interruptions and ensure reliable operations. It is also pushing
for the refiling of the “Anti-Power Line Disturbance Act”, which was proposed
in the previous Congress.
“NGCP
is reiterating its support for the passage of the ‘Act prohibiting the planting
of plants and trees, and the construction of any structure under or within the
right-of-way clearance of all power transmission and distribution lines and
providing penalties for violation thereof’ in the current 17th Congress.
We are hopeful that support in the form of legislation, through the House and
Senate Committees on Energy, will eliminate substantial delays in project
construction and obstruction in regular maintenance works. After all, this is
not only for NGCP but also for distribution utilities encountering the same
difficulties,” stated the grid operator.
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 Corporation led by Robert Coyiuto, Jr., and
the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) as technical partner.
(By
Jong Cadion with PR)
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