NGCP seeks gov’t support to hasten BIMP completion

By Alena Mae S. Flores – October 11, 2023, 8:30 pm
from manilastandard.net

Transmission operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) on Thursday called for the government’s support to ensure the speedy completion of the P14.03-billion Batangas-Mindoro Interconnection Project (BMIP).

NGCP asked concerned national and local government agencies to support the implementation of the BMIP, originally scheduled for completion in September 2027, but was fast-tracked to December 2025 by the Department of Energy.

“December 2025. Even then that’s already tight. We will do our best. Is there a window for that? Yes, but it’s a sliver of a window, that’s assuming nothing goes wrong,” NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Perez-Alabanza said in a briefing Wednesday.

Alabanza said NGCP is supporting the government’s green energy initiative, but noted that construction of transmission facilities takes 7 to 10 years in developed countries.

Alabanza said that even before the Energy Regulatory Commission’s provisional approval of the project in February, the company had started pre-construction work for BMIP.

The company conducted the topographic survey of the submarine cable and cable terminal station sites, marine and hydrographic survey, and route survey for the 230kV and 69kV overhead transmission line portions.

“But even after having done those preconstruction work, our timeline really is 50 to 55 months, assuming that everything goes to plan,” Alabanza said.

Alabanza said the NGCP also started with the community engagement together with the other local government units (LGUs).

“We’re trying to implement as many of the project activities that can be implemented simultaneously,” she said.

NGCP said in a separate statement that based on its 2023 application filed with the ERC, the 2027 timeline “is already tight with respect to a project of this magnitude.”

“We understand and support the direction of the DOE in these and other critical projects. There is zero room for any delay with the usual chokepoints – right-of-way and the issuance of permits from local governments and other government agencies,” NGCP said.

“It’s an almost impossible deadline, but NGCP, as always, will do its best,” it said.

NGCP relayed its concerns to the DOE on the support it needs regarding right-of-way acquisition and processing of permits from local government units and other government agencies.

“Assuming that the project incurs no delay in permitting and right of way, and assuming no restraining orders are issued against the project by the courts, the timeline imposed by the DOE is, again, still very tight, even with government support. We will exert all efforts to finish the project at the soonest time possible”, NGCP said.

NGCP originally filed an application with the ERC to undertake the project in 2011 with the master plan of connecting the off-grid islands to the main transmission grid.

The company re-filed its application in 2021 to connect the Mindoro provinces to the main Luzon grid to enable more reliable and stable power transmission in the island.

“The province of Mindoro has been suffering from power interruptions due to intermittent power supply and expensive cost of power. With its fast-growing economic development, the province requires a long-term solution. The connection to the main grid will open the province to other sources of energy, enabling a stable delivery of power to the island”, said NGCP.