NGCP switches on P6 billion power grid line in Bataan

MANILA, Philippines — The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has energized the P6-billion Mariveles-Hermosa transmission line in Bataan to meet the growing power needs of the Luzon grid.

The project involves the construction of a 49.2-kilometer transmission line connecting Mariveles to Hermosa, and the construction of substations in Alas-Asin, Mariveles and Balsik, Hermosa.

NGCP said the  new transmission line would expand the existing capacity of the transmission facilities in the area to accommodate more than 2,500 megawatts (MW) of incoming generation from the Bataan Peninsula.

This includes the 2x668-MW GN Power Dinginin coal-fired power plant and the 8x150-MW Mariveles Power Generation Corp.

“NGCP’s mandate is to ensure that all capacities are capable of being delivered to load centers across the Philippines. It is important that we remain ahead of the curve by ensuring that lines are more than capable of delivering incoming power. NGCP is dedicated to doing its part in ensuring energy stability and resiliency, by making sure the power highways are always ready,” the grid operator said.

Meanwhile, the new Balsik substation will house 2,000 megavolt ampere (MVA), the largest MVA capacity of any NGCP transformer bank to date, with the capability to expand to up to 4,000 MVA with the entry of bulk generation in the coming years.

“The capacity of the new Balsik substation will ensure that more power can be dispatched by the transmission system and will greatly improve the overall grid reliability and stability of the 500-kilovolt (kV) network,” the NGCP said.

The Mariveles-Hermosa 500-kV Transmission line project was certified as an energy project of national significance by the Department of Energy (DOE) on Jan. 16, 2019 and has a cost of P6 billion as applied with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

“The completion of these high voltage facilities affirms NGCP’s commitment to its mandate of expanding the country’s transmission system. We continue to ask for the support of all our stakeholders to fast-track the completion of our other critical projects as we create a better and more resilient grid across the country,” the grid operator said.

Other critical projects in NGCP’s pipeline include the Hermosa-San Jose 500-kV transmission backbone project in Luzon, the Cebu-Negros-Panay and Cebu-Bohol interconnection project, and the Mindanao-Visayas interconnection pppoject, which aims to realize power sharing between the three main grids.

NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid led by majority shareholders  Henry Sy Jr. and Robert Coyiuto Jr.

It is the sole operating asset of Synergy Grid and Development Philippines Inc.