The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has caused a halt in some of its projects as vendors and manufacturers hold deliveries of critical equipment.
The grid operator noted that several projects that aim to address low voltage in grids across different areas of the country are also affected, including the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection, Western Luzon 500kV Backbone, Mindanao 230kV Backbone, and the San Jose-Quezon 230kV transmission line.
“The company has put in place a contingency plan, which includes the use of existing NGCP equipment in stock and resort to other suppliers not affected by COVID-19, to mitigate further the impact of the disease on project deadlines and its overall effect on power transmission operations,” the company was quoted.
NGCP cited some of its contingency measures to cushion the effect of COVID-19 on its workforce.
It has already canceled official travel to affected countries and non-essential large events, issued protocols on employees returning from abroad, set up stricter procedures on the entry of guests, and pushed the use of video conferencing and other online communication as an alternative to face-to-face meetings, according to a report.
