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STATE-RUN National Transmission Corp. (Transco) has
reported that it surpassed its performance targets for
service quality and reliability last year based on
marked improvements in its key operational indices.
Transco’s improved service quality indicators include
the internationally recognized Sustained Average
Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) or the total number
of times a customer experiences power interruptions in a
year; Sustained Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI)
or the length of time in hours of power interruptions
that a customer experiences in a year; and Unserved
Energy (UE) or the amount of energy a customer was not
able to use due to power interruptions.
Records
presented at Transco’s 2006 Yearend Operations Review
show that the corporation has steadily improved its
SAIFI, SAIDI and UE levels since 2003, the year Transco
started operating separately from the National Power
Corp. (Napocor).
“Being a
utility firm, we are aware of the rising expectations of
our customers. We remain committed to continuously raise
the bar of our performance,” said Transco president and
chief executive Arthur N. Aguilar.
The
SAIFI and SAIDI indicators gauge the quality of power
delivery to Transco customers in terms of the
reliability of the transmission network.
Less
frequent and shorter power fluctuations or interruptions
that hamper power customers’ activities translate to
more reliable electricity service.
Transco
registered 0.52 customer interruptions (SAIFI) in 2006,
a 36.6-percent improvement from its target of 0.82. In
2003, it was 0.98.
A lower
SAIFI means lesser number of times that a customer is
out of power due to Transco-caused outages.
SAIDI
level in 2006 was at 0.40 hour, 18-percent better than
the 0.49 hour target for the year. The 2003 SAIDI level
was 1.47 hours, which was reduced to just 0.49 hour by
2005.
A lower
SAIDI, indicates that Transco is able to restore
transmission service after a power interruption within a
shorter time period.
In terms
of unserved energy, Transco also managed to consistently
reduce undelivered electricity due to power
interruptions every year since 2003.
The 2003
level of 39.95 (GWH) was lowered to 27.47 GWH in 2004
and was further reduced to 18.22 GWH by 2005.
By last
year, unserved energy was further cut to only 10.79 GWH,
a 73-percent improvement from the 2003 level.
One GWH
is equal to 1 million kilowatt-hours.
Meanwhile, in terms of System Availability (SA) or the
time that major components of the transmission system
such as lines, breakers and transformers are available,
TransCo registered consistently high 99-percent
availability since 2003.
Through
the years, Transco has been improving the reliability of
the grid through rehabilitation of transmission lines
and substations, the addition of more lines and the
upgrading of transmission capacities.
Other
measures which contributed to improved service quality
and reliability are the enhancement of maintenance and
operating policies and practices; installation of
parallel routes as well as isolators or disconnecting
switches to sectionalize a long power line; reallocation
of spares, equipment, manpower and materials to parts of
the power grid contributing to low system reliability;
and the more efficient and reliable dispatch of bulk
power by Transco’s System Operations Group. |
