By Nycel Jane Dela
Consumers in Roxas City will experience a series of scheduled power interruptions from June to September as the Capiz Electric Cooperative (CAPELCO) undertakes critical works for the Visayas Voltage Improvement Project 2.
Acting General Manager Engr. Edgar D. Diaz presented updates on the installation of the 2×5 MVAR Capacitor Bank at the Lawaan Substation in Roxas City. The project is linked to the 10.8-kilometer Panitan-Lawaan 69-kilovolt transmission line, connecting Barangay Timpas in Panitan to Barangay Lawaan.
To complete the installation, CAPELCO and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) will implement four scheduled shutdowns.
The first shutdown is set on June 13, from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, for the assembly of gantry steel structures. A second shutdown will follow on July 5, also from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, for the installation of a prefabricated relay room using heavy-lift equipment.
A longer outage is scheduled on August 15, from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., to allow the erection of new steel poles, conductor installation, and connection to the Panitan transmission line. The final shutdown will take place on September 12, from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, for the installation of final electrical connections and energization of the system.
CAPELCO reported that all required foundations for high-voltage equipment and gantries have been completed. Structural erection work has reached 39 of 54 units, while installation of electrical equipment has progressed to 15 of 41 units. Field testing and commissioning have yet to begin pending the arrival of remaining equipment.
The project is targeted for completion and full energization by September 2026.
