The Palawan Electric Cooperative (PALECO) has started the first phase of its P40-million industrial control systems software called Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) that would gather and analyze real-time data to speed up electricity service resumption during outages.
Electric cooperative officer-in-charge Engr. Ferdinand Pontillas said that they have started the partial installation of the first phase of the project out of three phases.
“It’s just the first phase, partial pa lang siya ng first phase ibig sabihin ay kasama pa lang diyan ay ‘yong substation, hindi pa kasama ‘yong generating companies. Ibig sabihin kung substation pa lang, iyan pa lang ang namo-monitor natin at pwede kontrolin, we cannot expect so much pa at this time on the effect of SCADA kasi iyan pa lang ang nakikita natin,” he said.
SCADA was funded out of the Capital Expenditure (CapEx) loan of PALECO from Rural Electrification Financing Corporation (REFC) which granted in 2019. It aims to lessen the problem with the supply and demand while the whole power system of Palawan main grid is operating.
PALECO further explained in a separate statement that the insufficient supply leads to power interruption in households and community that is why SCADA will be used by the system operator to provide immediate action.
SCADA will also be used to immediately identify the cause of power loss and speed up the resumption of power through fixing lines or generators.
The project is a software application with hardware and communication component to gather live data from generators, substations and reclosers. It will also process the accumulated data and controls the use of three segments of power system namely generation from power providers, transmission by National Power Corporation, and distribution by PALECO.
“Nahahati sa tatlong bahagi ang naturang proyekto. Ang unang bahagi ay binubuo ng pagkakabit ng mga planta, substations at reclosers na nandito sa lungsod ng Puerto Princesa sa SCADA. Kasama rin dito ang paglalagay ng control center sa main office ng kooperatiba sa Brgy. Tiniguiban. Ang ikalawa at ikatlong bahagi naman ay pagkakabit ng mga power plants, at mga substations kasama ang mga reclosers sa bahaging sur ng lalawigang at bayan ng Roxas,” PALECO said.
The SCADA project is expected to be completed by 2021, the electric cooperative said.
“With that information ay medyo makakapag-imbestiga na agad yong system operator na pataas na yong load, kailangan ma-dispatch na ako ng makina na additional, mas madali sa kanila yong trabaho,” Pontillas said.
Meanwhile, PALECO also started transferring the electric posts remained standing at the middle of the road due to road widening projects. After the fund has downloaded into the account of PALECO in November, the electric cooperative records a progress of approximately five percent in southern Palawan and seven percent in northern part of the province.
PALECO has a total inventory of over 1,100 electric posts affected by the road widening from El Nido to Bataraza.
“Sa ngayon ay nasa south ay meron ng five percent, approximately and sa north ay nasa halos seven percent, sa ngayon kung sa learning term ay nandon sa part na parang nag-start pa lang siya. Iyong cause ay unang-una kasi government funded siya, we have to follow our COA rules, procurement rules ng government, medyo istrikto iyon, hindi tayo pwede bumili kung saan-saan, kailangan i-subject sa public bidding,” Pontillas said.
Due to movement restrictions caused by pandemic, the shipping of materials needed for the transferring of electric posts was affected.
“Yong delivery ng ating mga gamit, since pandemic hindi pa nali-lift ‘yon, matagal pa ‘yong pag-ship lalo na nandito tayo sa isang isla, separate tayo sa Luzon, iyon din ang isang issues don. Pati ang pagti-train ng lineman natin kasi ang gagawin natin ay nag-hire tayo ng lineman, we cannot just put our contracted personnel sa kanilang trabaho without teaching them properly kung paano gawin ‘yong kanilang mga trabaho,” he added.
