State-run National Electrification Administration (NEA) has teamed up with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to help improve the distribution system reliability of the electric cooperatives in the country through the introduction of a smart grid technology.

JICA tapped the expertise of the Tokyo Electric Power Company or TEPCO and its affiliated firm Takaoka Toko (TKTK) to work with the NEA for the pilot implementation of the Distribution Network Management System (DNMS) technology in the province of Batangas.

NEA Deputy Administrator for Technical Services Engr. Artis Nikki Tortola said the pilot project, which will run over the period of two years from 2018 to 2019, is expected to reduce the number and duration of power outages, leading to improvement in distribution system reliability.

Tortola said the project is under JICA collaboration program with the private sector for disseminating Japanese techhnology for electricity distribution system and management in the Philippines.

The Batangas II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Batelec II) has been selected as the pilot project site to demonstrate the effectiveness of the DNMS technology and to better understand the system configuration and operation.

“It’s a proven and tested technology. With that system, we hope that the electric cooperative that will be benefiting from this project will improve its reliability,” the NEA deputy administrator said.

The project kicked off during a meeting last January 18, 2018, participated in by representatives from the NEA, JICA and TKTK/TEPCO PG at the NEA headquarters in Quezon City. Included in the discussion were the activities to be carried out during the implementation phase of the project.

Present in the meeting were NEA Administrator Edgardo Masongsong, Deputy Administrator Tortola, Engineering Department manager Engr. Ferdinand Villareal, Engr. Federico Villar, Engr. Bonifacio David, and Atty. Julius Lotilla, consultant for Diplomatic Relations and Coordination Office.