National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has lined up an array of big projects to improve the country’s transmission networks and build on a unified, nationwide system that is expected to be ready by 2020.
Foremost of the new projects are a grid reinforcement project in Bataan and the Western Luzon 500-kilovolt backbone project for Luzon, a 230-kv backbone project for Mindanao, as well as a program to make substations in the Visayas more reliable and the Cebu-Negros-Panay Interconnection Project.
These are part of NGCP’s proposed Transmission Development Plan (TDP) 2019-2040 that lists proposed infrastructure projects for the next six years, or until 2025.
NGCP proposes 47 projects for Luzon, 29 for Visayas and 12 for Mindanao for a total of 88 projects.
These are on top of 68 projects already approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission—but still for implementation—including 24 for Luzon, 13 for Visayas and 11 for Mindanao.
“As the Philippine economy continues to grow,
so must we in the power sector continue to develop our infrastructure in order to cater to an ever-expanding network,” NGCP said in a statement.
“As NGCP is in a unique position to balance the supply and demand, the [TDP] is imperative in supporting the growth of the entire industry,” the company said.
In Luzon, NGCP’s grid development plan is driven by large capacity coal-fired and natural gas power plants that are being built in Batangas, Quezon, Bataan and Zambales.
To improve reliability of supply, NGCP wants to build the first 500-kv transmission system for bulk power delivery within Metro Manila and three additional 230-kv drawdown substations.
NGCP’s long-term plan includes the development of a 500-kv backbone extension both in the western and eastern side of northern Luzon that will serve as a power generation highway.