NGCP’s 5 transmission projects to address load growth in Luzon
By Lenie Lectura – July 9, 2019
from Business Mirror
THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) is currently undertaking five transmission projects worth P17.9 billion meant to address load growth in the western part of Luzon.
These projects, which are all certified as energy projects with national significance, are very crucial to accommodate the new power plants coming in, including the 2×300-megawatt (MW) RP Energy coal-fired power plant, GN Power Dinginin coal-fired power plant and SMC Consolidated Power coal-fired power plant, among others.
Of the P17.9 billion worth of projects, P10.28 billion was earmarked for the Hermosa-San Jose 500-kV transmission line project. This power facility will cater to existing power plants in Bataan, such as the Limay coal-fired power plant, Subic Enron diesel power plant and generation capacity additions like the RP Energy coal-fired power plant and San Miguel Corp. coal-fired power plant. It is expected to be finished in the last quarter of 2020.
Next in the list is the P5.94-billion Mariveles-Hermosa 500-kiloVolt (kV) transmission line project which will serve as a new transmission corridor to accommodate around 2,836 MW from power plants, such as the GN Power Dinginin coal-fired power plant SMC Consolidated Power coal-fired power plant and the Kepco-HHIC coal-fired power plant project.
The project entails the construction of a new Mariveles Substation, along with the transmission line. It will be finished in the last quarter of next year.
The third project, which is worth P1.34 billion, is the Western Luzon 500-kV backbone project.
The first stage of the Western Luzon 500-kV backbone project involves the construction of the Castillejos-Hermosa 500-kV transmission line and will be connected to the new Hermosa Substation. This is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2020.
The second stage of the project will involve the construction of a new Castillejos substation, Bolo Substation and the Castillejos-Bolo 500-kV transmission line. Stage 2 of the project is slated to be completed by 2025.
The fourth project is the Hermosa-Floridablanca 69-kV transmission line worth P315.77 million. This project, which was energized last February, was constructed to support the old Hermosa-Guagua 69-kV line and to address the low voltage concerns in the area.
“All of these projects in the western part of Luzon are critical in the stability and reliability of the transmission system in the near future,” the NGCP said. “Of course, the support and help of our stakeholders are still crucial in the smooth implementation and on-time completion of these projects.” The 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.
