Veco’s Lightning Arresters ‘Second Hand’

Officials of the Visayan Electric Company (Veco) admitted before the members of the Cebu City council that the lightning arresters used to protect transformers in Barangay Banilad were surplus when purchased in 2008.

Lyndon Jayme, the power firm’s assistant vice president for utility and economics, did not react to Councilor Nestor Archival’s theory that the reason why their transformers were hit by lighting last May was because of non-functional lightning arresters.

Lightning arresters are designed to safely channel a lightning strike to the ground without damaging equipment. Inside the porcelain housing of an arrester, are a series of spark gaps plus one or more silicon carbide blocks. These are typically located at the top of a distribution pole wherever a pole-top transformer, capacitor bank or other critical piece of equipment is located.

Jayme said their lightning arresters were already second hand when these were purchased from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines five years ago.

“And because probably it’s not working well then the lightning goes and hit the transformers,” said Archival who is also an engineer.

Because of the damage, Veco was forced to purchase additional power at a higher price from a power plant in Lapu-Lapu City resulting in additional cost of P34.2 million for three months which the utility company wants to pass on to the consumers.

The City Council invited Veco officials during its regular session Wednesday to explain their intention to pass on to the consumers the P34.2 million. Should the Energy Regulatory Commission approved Veco’s petition, the consumers will pay an additional five to six centavos for every kilowatt-hour of power consumption.

“Sulod ra sa tulo ka buwan ang ipatuman namo nga increase, gamay ra g’yud na kaayo,” said Jayme.

Retired police officer Flaviano Sanson appeared before the City Council yesterday and asked Veco officials to refrain from passing it on to consumers.

“Have mercy on us,” Sanson told Jayme. The City Council designated Councilors Roberto Cabarrubias and Archival to represent the city in the ERC hearing in Manila to protect the interest of the city constituents.

“Kanang ten pesos nga increase sa konsumo sa koryente bug-at na kaayo na sa ubang tawo,” said Councilor Alvin Dizon.