‘Birth pains’ for Negros Power as Bacolod transformer conks out

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By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — After 13 years of service and repeated overloading incidents, the 30/37 MegaVolt Amperes (MVA) power transformer at the Alijis Substation suffered a critical failure around 9 p.m. on Wednesday, causing a widespread power outage across all seven connected feeders.

Negros Power’s Chief Operations Officer, Engr. Bailey Del Castillo, reported that the transformer experienced a significant oil leak, rendering it irreparable.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Del Castillo stated that the outage affected at least 47,000 households.

He assured the public that efforts are underway to address the situation, with power expected to stabilize within 24 hours.

Negros Power has decided to replace the damaged transformer with a new unit. Del Castillo mentioned that, fortunately, a spare transformer was available.

However, due to necessary installation processes, it will take approximately two weeks before the new transformer is fully integrated into the system.

As an interim solution, Negros Power engineers have rerouted and connected feeder lines from the Alijis Substation to nearby substations and feeders, providing a temporary power supply of around 32 megawatts to the affected areas.

To prevent overloading, Del Castillo said they will closely monitor the feeders and may implement Manual Load Dropping as a precautionary measure to avoid unscheduled power interruptions.

He appealed for understanding from affected consumers during this period of reconfiguration, assuring them of ongoing efforts to restore normal operations and ensure a consistent power supply while addressing the challenges at the Alijis Substation.

Del Castillo also outlined plans for the comprehensive rehabilitation and modernization of the Alijis Substation and other facilities inherited from CENECO as part of a five-year program set to commence next month.

“We have not started our five-year development plan yet,” he added.

“Right now, we have just 22 days in our operation. Our plan is to observe the system’s performance within a month, gather data daily, and then start the rehabilitation.”

He also announced that the power rate for August is expected to decrease. While he did not specify the exact amount, Del Castillo stated that it would be lower than the P12 per kilowatt-hour rate for July.

Del Castillo reiterated that Negros Power will invest P2 billion in its franchise area for the modernization of the entire distribution network, with the project set to begin next month.

This initiative will follow the granting of the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Energy Regulatory Commission, marking a significant step in Negros Power’s evolution as the new Distribution Utility in Central Negros.