NGCP: Over 10,000-MW grid capacity available

“The timely commissioning of new power plants, as outlined in the DOE committed power projects report, will significantly impact the grid’s resource adequacy.”

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s transmission network can still accommodate over 10,000 megawatts (MW) of capacity from new power plants, according to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

Latest NGCP data showed that 10,260 MW of transmission capacity remained available across the country, most of which was in Luzon.

Out of the total system-wide transmission capacity of 34,797 MW, the dependable capacity of the existing power plants was only 24,537 MW.

This leaves around 6,573 MW of grid capacity available in Luzon, 2,281 MW in the Visayas and 1,406 MW in Mindanao.

The capacity addition from incoming power plants is expected to reinforce the grid amid the forecasted surge in demand this year, especially during the summer months.

Based on its latest 2025 power outlook, the Department of Energy (DOE) was expecting demand in Luzon to grow by 5.37 percent, in the Visayas by 16.02 percent and in Mindanao by 8.23 percent.

“The timely commissioning of new power plants, as outlined in the DOE committed power projects report, will significantly impact the grid’s resource adequacy,” the NGCP said.

Specifically, the country’s sole transmission operator is pushing for more baseload power plants, which can operate continuously and provide an uninterrupted supply of electricity.

Further, the NGCP assured the public that the grid is expected to have a sufficient supply, provided that no power plant outages occur and the new facilities are commissioned on schedule.

Under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, the NGCP is prohibited from owning or operating power generation facilities.

As such, the private sector-backed grid operator only provides an overview of the current supply and demand situation and dispatches any available power.