NGCP to finish P8.1-B Tuy–Dasmariñas 500 kV power line by Q4

MANILA, Philippines — The P8.1-billion transmission line in South Luzon is expected to be completed in the latter part of the year, an official of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said.

Redi Allan Remoroza, assistant vice president and transmission planning head at NGCP, said one of the big-ticket projects up for completion in 2024 is the Tuy-Dasmariñas 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission backbone project.

“We are targeting to finish it this year, or specifically in the fourth quarter of this year,” he told reporters.

The project involves the construction of a 49-kilometer double-circuit overhead transmission line, and a new substation in the town of Tuy, Batangas.

READ: NGCP commits to complete more transmission lines

The development of the facility was crucial as the NGCP anticipates an additional 5,215.55 megawatts of generation capacity near Calaca in the same province.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approved the project in October 2024.

However, the ERC recently decided to defer its decision on six other projects of NGCP, with investments worth P20.33 billion.

ERC chair and chief executive officer Monalisa Dimalanta said the resolution was only deferred “because the commission still had questions for our technical team to work on.”

“Justification would come in the form of a need to address a congestion in the line or need to expand the line when plants are coming in or there are voltage issues that need to be upgraded,” Dimalanta said.

“These are just some details that we need to make sure that when we approve the project, the system really needs this project and we’re not passing on costs to the customers that are not necessary,” she added.

Asked for her comments, NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza said in a briefing that any delay in securing regulatory approvals “is not good for the transmission business neither is it good for the energy business as a whole.”