NGCP seeks ERC approval of 17-km transmission line project in Pampanga

MANILA, Philippines - The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), the operator of the country’s power grid, is seeking the approval of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to construct a 17-kilometer transmission line to support its Hermosa-Guagua 69-kilovolt line in Pampanga.

In a filing, NGCP sought a provisional authority “for a high priority project which will ease the imminent congestion of the Hermosa – Guagua 69-kv transmission line by constructing the 17-kilometer Hermosa – Floridablanca line.”

NGCP said the project, with an estimated cost of roughly P237 million, is set to be implemented within a period of 36 months. The existing Hermosa – Guagua line currently serves Pampanga II Electric Cooperative Inc. (Pelco II), which is forecast to significantly increase in peak load by 2020 on the back of growing demand for power in its franchise area in the province of Pampanga.

NGCP president and chief executive officer Henry Sy Jr. said the project would prevent the overloading of the existing line.

“NGCP will prioritize the construction of the Hermosa – Floridablanca transmission line in order to prevent overloading of the Hermosa – Guagua line, which has also exceeded its maximum asset life of 50 years. While the line can still meet the customer’s current power requirements, we are looking to ensure that it will maintain that level of reliability with the continuing increase of both power demand and supply,” Sy said.

Furthermore, he said the project would also address the Hermosa – Guagua line’s N-1 contingency requirement.

This so-called N-1 contingency requirement is the ability of the grid to withstand the loss of a major system component with minimal disruption in the system.

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 state-owned National Transmission Co.