Written by Paul Anthony A. Isla / Reporter
Monday, 08 March 2010 18:53
PANGLIMA SUGALA, Tawi-Tawi—The Tawi-Tawi Electric Cooperative (Tawelco) is looking at further bringing down its system loss this year to be able to pay part of its arrears with the National Power Corp. (Napocor).
“Tawelco has been intensifying its efforts to lessen its system loss during the past years. This year we target to further bring it [system loss] to 20 percent,” Hector Tabilisma, Tawelco general manager, told reporters at the sidelines of Team Energy Foundation Inc.’s switch-on ceremony and launching of distance learning facility here.
He added that they have been able to bring down Tawelco’s system loss to 27 percent last year, from 47 percent in 2008.
Tabilisma said their efforts to bring down system loss have enabled them to pay off some of their arrears to Napocor.
Ibnotalib Nasirin, Tawelco president, said 10-megaWatts (mW) of Tawi-Tawi’s demand is served through generator sets and only 6-mW have been provided for.
Nasirin said about 2.5-mW of the 6-mW is allocated for Bongao, Tawi-tawi’s capital.
He added that Tawi-Tawi is also being provided electricity through power barges of the Napocor-Small Power Utilities Group.
Nasirin said Tawelco has been putting up small generator sets with about 250-kiloWatts (kW) to 500-kW generating capacity in their bid to gradually energize the entire province.
Nasirin said they plan to provide electricity to the municipalities of Sibutu and Sitangkay using generator sets with total capacity of 750-kW within this week.
Nasirin added that they are also in the process of energizing four more municipalities in Ubian, Sapa-sapa, Langoyan and Turtle Islands, which could be done by putting up two small units of generator sets with a capacity of 350-kW each.
“Tawi-Tawi’s archipelagic layout also makes it difficult for them to provide energy to the entire island. Our capability is limited only to generator sets. The entire island is archipelagic in nature and makes it hard for us to provide power to the people,” Nasirin said.
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