The Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) will help the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative (Noneco) address the power outage after its substation in Victorias City got hit by lightning, causing widespread blackouts in EB Magalona, Victorias City, and Manapla since Tuesday, August 29, its acting general manager, Arnel Lapore, said Thursday, August 31.
However, Lapore said that it would take three to four days for Noneco to connect to its substation in Barangay E. Lopez in Silay City.
The power outage has been going on since August 28.
Lapore said that Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez called him up to ask for assistance.
"We are looking at two options. We are going to tap from the E. Lopez substation to supply power to EB Magalona," he said.
The issue there, he said, is the power quality when it reaches Manapla because of the distance unless one has a step-up transformer that will regulate the voltage.
Lapore said that Noneco can only have quality power until Victorias, unless it has a booster.
“The other option is to allow them to use our 15 MVA transformer at the CyberCentre donated by Kepco Power, which they can utilize,” he added.
Lapore pointed out that there is no existing line from Silay City to EB Magalona.
He assured Ceneco consumers that the connection will not affect power in their coverage area as the Silay substation has 10 MVA capacity and Noneco is just asking for 2.4 MVA.
"We are coordinating with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to reset their line," he said.
Atty. John Deles, area operations manager of Noneco, said that the widespread blackout was caused by lightning hitting the lightning arrester of their substation in Victorias.
Deles said they are coordinating with other electric cooperatives to help them get temporary power sources.
Aside from Ceneco, he said they have talked with the Negros Oriental Electric Cooperative II in Dumaguete City to rent its 10 MVA substation and also rent from a power firm in Cebu.
"Our technical people are studying if their transformer needs only a repair or we will have to purchase a new unit," Deles said.*