Thursday, October 05, 2006 Controversial power sub-station tested today
THE newly-constructed Alijis power sub-station will be tested Thursday by the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco).
Pedro Errasquin, president of PowerStar Incorporated and contractor of the P43 million project, said that after the final test of the 30 mega-watt sub-station, they will submit a report to the National Transmission Corporation (Transco) to signify that the project is ready to accommodate power load from Napocor.
"Next week, the project will be totally completed and ready for a switch-on ceremony to be led by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who will arrive in Bacolod anytime during the Masskara," he said.
The new Alijis power sub-station and the one being constructed at the Mabini area are among the issues being investigated by the National Electrification Administration (NEA).
All of the Ceneco Board of Directors, including officer-in-charge Noriel Bermudez, are being probed for alleged corruption through conspiracy.
This came after the board allowed the implementation of the Alijis sub-station project even without NEA's final order and deviated the amount for down payment in the Mabini project.
Ed Guillem, Board president, earlier said that all the questions raised against the Ceneco officers will fall under "procedural lapses" and that these can be easily justified.
"What is important is that the two projects are now up for completion and ready to serve the people of Bacolod," he added.
Guillem said the two projects were implemented in the exigency of Bacolod's power needs. He said that if Ceneco will wait for a NEA approval, the project will only be delayed until the power cooperative suffers from power overloading.
At present, Ceneco has five power stations in Bacolod -- Alijis (the old one), Mountain View Subdivision in Barangay Mandalagan, Sum-ag, Burgos and Reclamation area.
Each has a 30-megawatt capacity.
"Each of these has about a 95 percent daily load. This is very risky in the coop's daily operations. In normal loading, each station should only have a load of 75 percent," Guillem said.
He reasoned that the construction of the two new sub-stations should augment and unload each of the five existing stations.
"That's why I am not fazed by the NEA investigation on these two projects. These have been delayed for quite a long time already," Guillem said.
He added that to prove that the Ceneco officers are not hiding anything, Guillem said they have invited the President to the switch-on ceremony.
Errasquin said he never minded the allegations of corruption.
"Everything was done in a transparent way," he said.
The Alijis sub-station is the second project of PowerStar in the Visayas. Its first was the Aklan Electric Cooperative (Akelco).
The new Alijis power sub-station, which was constructed in March, also has the important components of high voltage equipment.
The rest are local components that include the control house, foundation, perimeter fence, structural design and civil works. (EASD)
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