The P52-billion Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) is “on track” for completion before the year ends after the project’s integral components were put in place, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said.
The grid operator has so far finished the Santander and Dapitan Cable Terminal Stations, the 350-kilovolt submarine cable and the Lala-Aurora 138-kV transmission line.
It also carried out the construction of the Cable Terminal Stations (CTS) in Santander, Cebu and Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte, and the installation of two 92-kilometer 350-kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) power cables and two 92-km fiber-optic cables.
“Site acceptance tests were conducted at the Dapitan and Santander CTS to ensure the said facilities meet NGCP’s requirements,” the firm said in a statement.
The MVIP will link the power grids in the Visayas and Mindanao resulting in a single national grid through an HVDC system with an initial capacity of 450 megawatts.
Its completion was originally scheduled for June 2021 but the coronavirus pandemic, which restricted the entry of foreign experts, suspended work and reduced manpower caused significant delays, forcing NGCP to adjust the project timeline.
The damage to submarine cable No. 1 caused by a third-party vessel also delayed construction activities, with repairs completed only in November last year.
Setbacks
NGCP said the MVIP also encountered setbacks due to the delays in local government permitting and right-of-way issues “from slow judicial processes and unsupportive landowners.”
“We hoped this would finish on time, but factors beyond our control required an adjustment to our project timeline. We are working double-time to complete the overhead transmission line portions and advance the project to its commissioning stage to connect the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao grids,” NGCP said.
“NGCP continues to appeal for the support of the local and national government to push this into fruition,” it added.
Moving ahead, the company will work on several other components of the project such as the Dapitan-Lala 350-kV transmission line, Kauswagan-Lala 230-kV transmission line, and Kolambugan-Lala 20-kV transmission line in August.
Also lined up are the Dumanjug-Santander 350-kV transmission line, Magdugo-Dumanjug 230-kV transmission line, and Dumanjug-Alegria 20-kV transmission line in October, and the Dumanjug Bus-in to Colon-Samboan 138-kV transmission line in December.