NGCP pushing through with Leyte-Mindanao interconnection

National Grid Corp. of the Philippines intends to push through with the P24-billion Leyte-Mindanao Interconnection Project (LMIP), a three-decade-old government project seen to greatly boost power supply in Mindanao, for as long as government regulators would allow it.

NGCP president Henry Sy Jr. reiterated the company’s intention to move the project forward starting the current third regulatory period (2011 to 2015) during a recent chance interview.

“(The LMIP) is still under study, but we’re heading there,” Sy said.

Sy said NGCP, operator of the country’s transmission network, was even willing to advance the funds needed to implement the multibillion-peso project, for as long as the Energy Regulatory Commission would approve the spending for it.

He noted that the decision as to whether or not this project will be pursued will highly depend on the commission’s decision. NGCP had already submitted its petition to the ERC to implement the first phase of the LMIP project but the commission has yet to hand out its decision.

The first phase will involve the conduct of a P92-million feasibility and technical study to update the last one that was made by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) for the state-run National Power Corp. in 2001.

The second phase of the LMIP, which will see the construction of 23 kilometers of submarine cables to connect the Leyte and Surigao substations, covered the actual implementation of the project.—Amy R. Remo