NGCP to put up 10 new transmission facilities

MANILA, Philippines - The National Grid Co. of the Philippines (NGCP), operator of the country’s transmission grid, will put up more than 10 new transmission facilities.

NGCP said it has started the procurement process for these new projects.

Specifically, NGCP called on interested manufacturers, contractors and suppliers to apply for accreditation for various projects planned for procurement for the fourth quarter of 2010 and the first semester of 2011.

Most of the 11 transmission line and substation projects and supply of related equipment will be in the Luzon grid.

The projects are categorized as either associated with the entry of a power plant; network expansion needed to meet load growth; in compliance with reliability and N-1 requirements of the Philippine Grid Code.

The transmission projects intended to take in the generation capacity addition in the grid and directly resolve the transmission constraints associated with new generation connections include: Mariveles Coal-Transmission Reinforcement Project (Reconductoring of Limay-Hermosa Transmission Line); Mariveles Coal-Transmission Reinforcement Project (Substation Portion); Mariveles Coal-Transmission Reinforcement Project (Transmission Line Connection Asset — Mariveles-Limay B).

NGCP said the project and its three components indicated above involve the associated grid reinforcements that will allow the full dispatch of both the proposed Mariveles 600 MW Coal-Fired Power Plant (CFPP) and Limay Combined-Cycle Power Plant (CCPP).

It will also under the Kalayaan-Makban 230-kV Transmission Line Project which aims to upgrade the Kalayaan-Makban corridor that will allow all possible generation dispatch scenarios. The reinforcement is needed to support the entry of new power plants and the expansion of existing plants in South Luzon.

Another project in its list is Tayabas Substation Expansion 1 that involves the installation of additional 600 MVA transformer to allow all possible generation dispatch scenarios for Quezon Power and Pagbilao coal plants in Quezon and the power plants in the Bicol region.

On the load growth-driven projects which pertain to expansion of transmission facilities to meet load growth, NGCP will need carry out the Visayas Substation Expansion Project 1, involving the acquisition of two units of 50 MVA transformers to be installed in Talavera Substation (Cebu) and Kabankalan Substation (Negros) and one unit of 100 MVA transformer in Ormoc Substation (Leyte).

NGCP said the additional substation capacities are expected to accommodate the projected load growth in the Visayas.

The concessionaire of National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) said it will also be undertaking the Dasmariñas Extra High Voltage Substation Expansion.

The project involves the installation of additional capacity both in the 500 kV and 230 kV substations in Dasmariñas. The capacity expansion at the EHV substation is required to maintain the provision for N-1 contingency during maximum dispatch of Ilijan, Quezon Power Philippines Ltd. and Pagbilao plants (including their generation capacity expansions).