Government taps Japanese, Korean firms for provincial projects
By Lenie Lectura – January 30, 2018
from Business Mirror
TOKYO Electric Power Co. and Takaoka Toko Co. Ltd. would assist state-run National Electrification Administration (NEA) for the pilot implementation of a distribution network management system (DNMS) technology in the province of Batangas.
NEA Deputy Administrator for Technical Services Engr. Artis Nikki Tortola said the pilot project, which will run over the period of two years from 2018 to 2019, is expected to reduce the number and duration of power outages, leading to improvement in distribution system reliability.
Tortola said the project is under a collaboration program by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), with the private sector for disseminating Japanese technology for electricity distribution system and management in the Philippines.
The Batangas II Electric Cooperative Inc. has been selected as the pilot project site to demonstrate the effectiveness of the DNMS technology and to better understand the system configuration and operation.
“It’s a proven and tested technology,” Tortola said. “With that system, we hope that the electric cooperative that will be benefiting from this project will improve its reliability.”
Meanwhile, NEA said the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (Kiat) will be spending $3 million to upgrade a distribution voltage in Ilocos Norte.
“This project will help meet increasing demand for electricity in the northern part of Ilocos Norte, as well as improve electric-service reliability” for consumers and members of the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (Inec) Inc., according to NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong.
The two-year-long project aims to support engineering, procurement and construction of the said voltage-upgrade distribution line. It also seeks to contribute to the industrial cooperation and exchange of industrial technology and experts in the electrification sector between the Philippines and Korea, Masongsong added.
To ensure its successful implementation, Kiat enlisted the help of the Korea Electric Power Corp. and Bosung Powertec Co. Ltd. to work with Inec for the construction of distribution voltage upgrade in Ilocos Norte.
The project involves upgrading the Burgos Substation’s two distribution feeders voltage from 13.2 kiloVolt (kV) to 22.9 kV, including the installation of 10-mega volt amp 69-kV/22.9-kV units for protection and metering.
In addition, the existing line hardware and special equipment, such as automatic circuit reclosers, lightning arresters, isolation switches and transformers will be replaced to conform to the 22.9-kV voltage level.
This arrangement between NEA and Kiat was formalized via a signed document last January 22, during a simple ceremony in Ilocos Norte.
