Napocor installs new gensets

MANILA, Philippines -  State-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) has installed nearly 30 megawatts (MW) of generator sets in the first half in line with efforts to improve power supply in off-grid islands.

The state-run firm said it installed 64 new generating sets as additional capacities to 38 Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) power plants that service 176,000 households.

The gensets have a total dependable capacity of 28.686 MW. These were deployed and commissioned in various SPUG plants in 17 provinces such as Apayao, Batanes, Aurora, Quezon, Batangas, Romblon, Marinduque, Palawan, Albay, Masbate, Antique, Cebu, Bohol, Western Samar, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Sultan Kudarat.

Napocor president and CEO Pio Benavidez said the deployment of gensets is part of the corporation’s continuous upgrading of its services in the islands to ensure uninterrupted local business operations and implementation of the government’s development programs.

“We are aware of the weight of our roles in the islands and off-grid areas. With power supply, we are able to improve commerce, health and education programs. This is more than enough inspiration for us to give our best in what we do,” he said.

The Napocor chief also said the additional capacities will also meet the increasing power demand in some areas due to improving local economies and rural tourism.

Napocor said there were increased economic activities in some 17 SPUG plants, which lengthened their operating hours by two to eight hours.

Two of these areas were San Vicente Diesel Power Plant in Northern Samar and West Simunul Diesel Power Plant in Tawi-Tawi which had additional eight and six hours, respectively.

These areas used to only have eight hours of service hours.

Under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001, Napocor is mandated to provide power generation and associated power delivery systems in missionary areas or those islands and communities not connected to the main transmission grid.

Currently, Napocor operates 275 SPUG plants in 189 municipalities across 34 provinces in the country.