NORSAMELCO’s petition for line rehab granted

By GINA DEAN-RAGUDO, Samar News.com
December 18, 2010

CALBAYOG CITY, Samar  –  Northern Samar Electric Cooperative (NORSAMELCO) General Manager Salvador Hernandez is hopeful that its electric cooperative can deliver better services to its member-consumers in the days ahead.

Despite the frequent power outages experienced by the province comprising 24 towns of Northern Samar with more or less 54,000 member-consumers, its performance continue to build up trust among people.

In the 22nd Annual General Membership Assembly held on December 12, 2010 at Catarman Chinese Chamber, Hernandez said that the National Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO) now National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) had been directed by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to facilitate the immediate rehabilitation of Northern Samar’s reclassified sub-transmission line assets to address the reliability of the transmission system in the entire Province of Northern Samar.

Its petition is for the approval of the reclassification of the TRANSCO’s sub-transmission lines to transmission lines serving Northern Samar via Paranas, Western Samar, or in the alternative, to transfer the 69 KV line serving NORSAMELCO to the 138 KV transmission lines near Calbayog City.

In 12-page decision of ERC, it granted NORSAMELCO’s argument that the considerable length of their sub-transmission lines and the deteriorated condition of the 69KV structures and the uncontrolled or unmaintained vegetation along the route of these lines are the major causes of voltage drop at the delivery points and frequently tripping/power outages within the franchise area of said electric cooperative.

NORSAMELCO added that the 59 kilometers Catarman-Palanas Cara 69KV lines traverse through very rugged and mountainous terrains which hamper the necessary repairs and maintenance of the lines.

Be it noted that Northern Samar particularly the Catarman-Palans Cara section, has been operating for 20 years and due for rehabilitation because of the deteriorated condition of its structures.

The electric cooperative admitted that it is not financially capable of acquiring the 164 kilometers sub-transmission lines with a selling price of about P217 Million. The cost of rehabilitating these transmission assets is approximately P197 Million.