NGCP energizes P52-B grid link

BY LENIE LECTURA – MAY 4, 2023
from Business Mirror

The P52-billion interconnection project linking Mindanao and Visayas was finally energized last April 30, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) announced Wednesday.

Through the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP), the Mindanao grid will be linked to the Visayas grid via a high voltage direct current system (HVDC) with a 450-megawatt (MW) initial capacity. However, the capacity will be gradually delivered starting with an initial load of 22.5 MW via high voltage submarine and overhead lines from Mindanao to Visayas.

“We expect to gradually increase the MVIP’s transfer capacity to 50MW by mid-May, and 112MW by the end of the month, before energizing to its full transfer capacity of 450MW by the third quarter of this year,” the grid operator said in a statement.

The MVIP is comprised of a 184 circuit-kilometer HVDC submarine transmission line connecting the power grids of Mindanao and Visayas with a transfer capacity of 450MW expandable to as much as 900MW. The project also includes converter stations in both regions and more than 500ckm of overhead lines to facilitate the flow of electricity.

It was certified as an Energy Project of National Significance in 2018 and was initially targeted for completion by December 2020 but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantine restrictions across the country.

NGCP said the MVIP will benefit consumers by providing them with “a more reliable and sustainable power transmission service” that will reduce the instances of power interruptions. It will also promote energy resource sharing, as excess power generated in one region can now be transmitted to the other.

“The completion of the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project is a significant achievement for us and for the Philippines as a whole. This will not only improve the reliability of our transmission services but will lead to efficient energy utilization as one Philippine grid,” said NGCP.

Parts of the MVIP were completed in 2022, such as the Lala-Aurora 138kV Transmission Line, the 350kV Submarine Cable, and Cable Terminal Stations in Santander, Cebu, and Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte. NGCP expects to complete the remaining components of the project and ramp up the transfer capacity of the facility in the coming months.

“NGCP is committed to providing the Filipino people with a reliable transmission network which is the backbone of the nation’s development. The completion of the MVIP is a significant step towards achieving that goal.”