Philippine government to repair substation of key hydropower dam

Substation is 60-years old.

The Energy Regulatory Commission approved a request by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to repair and upgrade the Agus 6 substation in Lanao del Norte province on Mindanao island. The regulator approved a project cost of US$16 million for the Agus 6 substation project. ERC directed the National Power Corporation to assign the contract to supply materials to qualified suppliers and contractors through a competitive bidding and selection process. Work on the project is expected to start this year, with completion and operation expected by November 2015. Napocor commissioned the switchyard in 1953 to serve two units of the Agus 6 hydroelectric power plant and three more units in 1997. The Agus 6 hydropower plant also provides ancillary services to the Mindanao grid. A large portion of Mindanao’s power supply comes from the Agus 6 hydropower plant that provides contingency reserve to the grid, making the substation’s upgrading essential.