High-voltage submarine cable helps ease power lack in Visayas

MANILA, Philippines - The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said its high voltage direct current  (HVPC) submarine cable linking the Luzon and Visayas islands has helped mitigate the power deficiency in the Visayas region.

NGCP said the grid-connected electric cooperatives and distribution utilities did not experience rotating brownouts and outages despite the red alert status of the Visayas grid on May 19, caused by the shutdown of three power plants.

A total of 200 megawatts (MW) generation capacity was lost from the grid during this period, the grid operator said.

NGCP said the submarine cable connecting the Luzon and Visayas grids allowed power flow to and from the two island groups, bringing in excess power supply from Luzon to improve the supply situation in the Visayas.

The facility allowed the transfer of 117 MW of power from Luzon to Visayas, addressing the power deficiency and helping the Visayas avoid rotational brownouts and manual load dropping.

However, parts of Panay Island still experienced power interruptions since some areas are not connected to the grid, NGCP president Henry Sy Jr. said.

Instead, these areas sourced their power from generators.

Sy reiterated the benefits of connecting to the transmission grid.

“Grid connection has its advantages. We can import supply from Luzon if there is supply deficiency in the Visayas. Our customers are also able to enjoy lower generation charges because grid connection makes it possible for them to get electricity from cheaper energy sources, including the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM),” he said.

“Connecting to the grid gives the customers the option to negotiate better prices from a larger pool of suppliers. In case one supplier breaks down, alternative power sources may be available from the WESM or the HVDC. We are giving customers the power of choice,” he added.

NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining and developing the country’s power transmission network.

The company won a 25-year concession to run the country’s transmission assets after it took over the management of the national transmission network in 2008 from the government.