Grid operator invests P3B in new transmission line

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines is investing P3 billion in a transmission line project that will accommodate the additional power capacities from new coal-fired and gas-fed facilities in Batangas.

In a statement, NGCP said the Calaca-Dasmariñas 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line project would take on the additional 2,470 megawatts to be generated from three planned facilities—the coal-fired power plants of Trans-Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp. and Semirara Mining, as well as the San Gabriel natural gas plant of First Gen Corp.

“With a projected combined capacity of 2,470 MW, this will necessitate expansion and reinforcement of transmission lines and facilities to ensure that the grid is more than capable of transmitting the additional capacity,” NGCP said.

NGCP is now seeking government approval to implement the project, which will take three and a half years to complete.

A grant of provisional authority will allow the system operator to start the construction of a 57-kilometer steel-tower double-circuit transmission line from Calaca, Batangas to the Dasmariñas substation in Cavite.

According to NGCP, the project will involve two major components—transmission and substation. Under the transmission component, 46 kilometers of the proposed line will be routed parallel to the existing Dasmariñas-Calaca 230-kV line.

The component also calls for the installation of two 230-kV power circuit breakers, compact air-insulated switchgear, and other equipment for both the Dasmariñas and Sta. Rita substations, which are the delivery and alternate delivery points of the Calaca power plant.

“This project will ensure that the additional supply coming from the power plants of the northern regions will be fully utilized while maintaining the reliability and stability of the grid. NGCP, through the reinforcement of facilities, commits to be ready by the time they go online,” said NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Perez-Alabanza.

NGCP currently operates, maintains and develops the country’s power grid.

It transmits high-voltage electricity through “power superhighways” that include the interconnected system of transmission lines, towers, substations and related assets.