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EU-APQI Philippines Chapter - Introduction and Launch
The Philippines, April 29, 2009 - European Union - Asia Power Quality
Initiative (EU-APQI) was launched on this day in Manila, Philippines at
a workshop organized by EU-APQI Support Network, International Copper
Association Southeast Asia Ltd (ICASEA) and Institute of Integrated
Electrical Engineers of the Philippines, Inc. (IIEE).
EU-APQI is envisioned to be a network of key Asian regional and local stakeholders that will support the awareness raising and capacity building activities to be implemented under the EU-APQI project in Asia. The assembled participants were addressed by EU-APQI committee members who elucidated on the EU-APQI Chapter and the role it would play to address vital issues relating to power quality in the region.
Local Expertise, International Platform
The Philippines is the first ASEAN country selected in the launch of the second phase of EU-APQI, which serves as a platform to share international experience and best practices among technical experts and solution providers.
To mark this significant milestone, the EU-APQI workshop brought together technical and functional experts from local and international professional institutions such as Delegation of the European Commission in the Philippines, Manila Electric Company (MERALCO), Center for Studies in Electrical Engineering Practices and Standards International Association (CESEEPS) and various key manufacturers and solution providers.
A series of activities to increase awareness of EU-APQI are in the roadmap with strong support from academia, professional federations and associations of industries, testing laboratories, national standardization bodies, engineering institutes and societies and manufacturing industries locally and beyond.
Certificates of appointment were also conferred by IIEE, the EU-APQI leader in the Philippines, to the working committee members specifically from four key areas namely, utility companies, solution providers, academic institutions and local non-government organizations during the workshop.
€150bn Lost to Poor Power Quality Management
Ms. Isabelle Heriakian, Electricity and Energy Project Manager of European Copper Institute (ECI) addressing the workshop brought forth the power quality concern in industries, stating that, “Poor power quality results in higher maintenance costs and replacement of electrical and electronic devices, and also in production chain interruption, production-batch losses, higher electricity bills, lower production output quality, etc. The financial losses are a grave damage in Europe.”
In a research report published by ECI in November 2008, it was appalled that power quality costs in Europe are responsible for a serious reduction in industrial performance with an economic impact exceeding €150 billion. The survey also revealed that electrical power installations are not sufficiently reliable and resilient for operating demands of today and in the future.
EU-APQI network of local and international expertise and solution providers will develop a sustainable framework to resolve power quality problems to enhance competitiveness of industries in the Philippines and other industrializing economies in Southeast Asia.
