AMID a company squabble, Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative Incorporated (Daneco)-National Electrification Authority (NEA) project supervisor Mario Angelo M. Sotto said the Samal submarine cable line construction will start early next year.
“Sa karun na kung tan-awon ang operation para manindot siya, kaya nato ma-supply ang Samal (To better the operations, we can supply Samal),” Sotto said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw at The Annex of SM City Davao Monday, November 19.
Sotto added that Daneco is ready to install the submarine cable wire to connect Samal Island to the Mindanao grid.
“Aabot ng P800 million to P1 billion ang budget which already includes the construction para sa submarine cable (It would take P800 million to P1 billion budget which already includes the construction for the submarine cable),” Sotto said, adding it would take a year to finish the construction.
On March 17, 2016, the 13.8-kilovolt (kv) submarine cable that connected the entire island of Samal to the mainland grid was severely damaged after it was dragged by the anchor of M/V Ecuador of Seaview Cargo Shipping Corporation.
The submarine cable, with a holding capacity of 4 to 5 megawatts, transmits power from Davao Light and Power Company substation to the entire Samal Island which is under the Daneco franchise.
“Since nag-trust ang mga taga-Samal sa amoa, maningkamot mi na ma-serve sila (Since the people of Samal trusted us, we’ll try our best to serve them),” Sotto said.