Alternergy allots P2.2 billion for transmission project

MANILA, Philippines — Alternergy Holdings Corp. is seeking provisional authority to develop a P2.2-billion transmission project that will connect its 112-megawatt wind project in Rizal to the Luzon grid.

Alternergy, through Alternergy Tanay Wind Corp. (ATWC), is seeking the green light from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to build dedicated point-to-point limited transmission facilities for its Tanay wind power plant project (TWPPP).

The company initially proposed a direct connection of the TWPPP to the planned 500-kilovolt (kV) Baras substation project of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).

However, the Baras substation is slated for completion only by 2034 or nine years after the target commercial operations of the TWPPP next year.

As such, ATWC proposed an interim connection for the TWPPP through a bus-in connection along the NGCP’s existing San Jose/Balsik-Tayabas 500-kV transmission line, which was said to be “considered acceptable” by the grid operator.

“A comparison of interconnection options for the TWPPP shows that the 500-kV bus-in interim connection is the best connection scheme while the NGCP Baras substation is not yet completed,” ATWC said.

Once completed, the company said the final connection scheme involving the direct integration of the wind project to the Baras substation would be subject of a new system impact study by the NGCP.

The Tanay project is among the wind projects awarded to Alternergy under the government’s second green energy auction program in July 2023.

Earlier this year, Alternergy secured an P8-billion loan from Bank of the Philippine Islands and Security Bank Corp. to bankroll the project.

The company intends to beef up its renewable energy fleet with new projects coming on stream in the next two years in hopes of achieving a 500-megawatt capacity.