THE country’s privately led grid operator has stepped up the modernization of the power transmission system by deploying more drones and other unmanned equipment.
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) continues to upgrade the facilities it inherited from the government since 2009, despite quarantine restrictions mounted against the global coronavirus pandemic.
Since it started using drone technology to inspect transmission lines in 2019, it now has three helicopters equipped with high-definition cameras with gimbal stabilizers, infrared scanning, and UV detection equipment.
These are crucial for its assessment of the condition of power lines and facilities, especially those that are inaccessible due to the terrain and environmental restrictions, it said in a statement on Tuesday.
Moreover, the technology also hastens its stringing activities in a day, company representatives said during a virtual briefing on the same day.
Usually, connecting tower segments manually takes a half-day, while using drones can connect three to four segments within the same period.
The transmission company is procuring 45 more drone equipment to be rolled out over the coming years, NGCP said.
Moreover, it is set to launch a central control and monitoring system to remotely operate substations. It will have real-time monitoring software and hardware to be used for the acquisition, collection, monitoring, and analysis of power data and equipment condition.
Also, it has refurbished its high voltage direct current (HVDC) buildings in Ormoc, Leyte and Naga, Camarines Sur, which connects the Luzon and Visayas grids.
“We are also equipping our personnel with the necessary skills and tools to efficiently use and operate these new technologies to provide the country with quality, reliable, and sustainable power transmission services,” NGCP said.
In May, NGCP said several ongoing projects had been delayed since the lockdown started in mid-March. It said the delays could lead to automatic or manual “load dropping” — or rotational power interruptions — as energy demand is picking up.
Still, the company said it could guarantee the “readiness of our transmission facilities to deliver available power to where it is needed.” — Adam J. Ang
