NGCP gets green light for 2 projects worth P32 billion

Logo of NGCP, the country’s electricity superhighway – File photo

MANILA, Philippines — The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has secured a nod from the regulator to pursue its two infrastructure projects meant to boost the grid system.

Based on an Energy Regulatory Commission document, the ERC approved NGCP’s proposed 500-kilovolt (kV) Western Luzon backbone project (Stage 2) as well as the 500 kV Nagsaag-Santiago
transmission line project.

Together, the two projects require an investment of a combined P32.02 billion.

According to the NGCP’s Transmission Development Plan 2022-2040, the P18.82-billion second stage of the Western Luzon backbone project is expected to strengthen the Luzon grid. The facility would “complete the reinforcement of the western transmission corridor.”

Expected to be completed by October 2027, this project could support fresh capacities from new power plants.

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Northern Luzon

The second project is the P13.2-billion Nagsaag-Santiago 500-kV transmission line project, which seeks to serve as a new transmission backbone to support the generation developments in Cagayan Valley and Cordillera.

The ERC said that the project must be finished by November 2030.

In February, the ERC approved four NGCP projects with investments reaching a total of about P5 billion.

Last year, the ERC also approved about P101.81 billion worth of power projects.

The regulator earlier said that 56 capital expenditure applications filed by the NGCP, distribution utilities, and electric cooperatives had been completed, which could benefit over 185,000 consumers across the grid network.

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