NGCP to invest P48B for grid expansion

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has earmarked P48 billion over the next four years, to further improve the efficiency and reliability of the country’s transmission network, according to company president and CEO Henry Sy Jr.

In an interview, Sy said the amount will be spread over the regulatory years starting 2011 and ending 2015, and will be used for priority projects as indicated in NGCP’s Transmission Development Plan (TDP). Based on the revised TDP, the NGCP has identified as critical over 30 projects that needed to be implemented between now and 2015.

Among these projects, according to NGCP documents, were transmission projects associated with the expansion or entry of a power plant; for network expansion needed to meet load growth; for network development needed to resolve congestion; and in compliance with requirements of the Grid Code.

“Projects intended to meet load growth and reliability requirements get high priority,” the NGCP had said.

The generation-related transmission projects included the upgrading of the Kalayaan-Bay line; installation of a new 600 megavolt-ampere transformer at the Tayabas substation, a new line to serve the requirements of Quezon Power Philippines Ltd.; and the reinforcements of the Ambuklao-Binga line in Luzon and Calung-Calung-Toledo-New Naga line in the Visayas.

The NGCP, meanwhile, identified seven load growth-driven projects nationwide, almost all of which were meant to provide additional transformer capacity to meet load growth from 2011 to 2015. Included also is a project to put up a new substation to serve as a new delivery point in Metro Manila and relieve the Taytay substation.

To solve the problem of “congestion” or overloading, which often results in the tripping of power lines, the NGCP plans to upgrade the capacities of the Ambuklao-Binga 230 kilovolt transmission line and construct the San Jose-Quezon Line 3.

Twenty-two more projects are also being prioritized by the NGCP to ensure the reliability and quality of electricity being delivered to power customers.

Some of these reliability projects include the Dasmariñas substation expansion; Luzon voltage improvement; San Jose-Angat 115 kV line upgrading; Cebu-Mandaue-Lapu-Lapu transmission line; Visayas substation reliability projects; Agus 6-Aurora 138 kV transmission line; and Tacurong-Sultan Kudarat 138 kV line project.