Change of heart? Marcos lauds power lines' completion

Contrary to last year when he reprimanded the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) for delayed transmission projects, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. seemed satisfied with the recent completion of new power lines necessary to stabilize power services nationwide.

“The 'unified Philippine Grid' is a fulfillment of the dream, whose seeds were planted in the 80s, through a vision bolstered by R&D (research and development), which we accomplished by applying typical Filipino persistence and dedication,” Marcos said during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

NGCP recently energized the Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose line and introduced a 500 kV corridor dedicated to the transmission of bulk power generated from existing and upcoming power plants in Bataan and Zambales. 

With a transmission capacity of 8,000 megawatts (MW), the line enhances the region's power transfer capabilities, ensuring efficient and reliable delivery of electricity to consumers.

Meanwhile, the Cebu-Negros-Panay 230kV Transmission accommodates existing power plants. It also added 800 MW of submarine cable capacity for interconnections among the islands.

On the other hand, the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection added 2,400 MW overhead transmission capacity, allowing power sharing between Mindanao and Visayas of up to 450 MW of power, expandable to another 450 MW capacity, using the installed transmission lines and submarine cables.

In Mindanao, the NGCP completed Mindanao 230kV Transmission Backbone extensions, providing an additional transfer capacity of 2,200 MW in the north and 2,400 MW in the south of the region.

“With these systems currently operating at capacity, these major power lines shall contribute to the efficient power exchanges not only between Luzon and the Visayas but also involving Mindanao. Energy sharing and transfers between, among, and within the three island groups have now been made possible with the energization last January of the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection,” Marcos said. 

Reacting to the President’s report, NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza reaffirmed that the company remains ready to serve.

“We thank the President for his continuing support of our efforts.  The mention of the Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose 500kV line, Cebu-Negros-Panay 230kV backbone, the Mindanao-Visayas interconnection, and the Cebu-Bohol Interconnection project in the SONA is a clear sign that our hard work is recognized as having made a positive impact and is fully aligned with his vision for a strong economy,” Alabanza said.

“NGCP is ready to serve. With this, attention can now be properly trained at ensuring enough investments in the generation sector to meet increasing demand,” she added.

NGCP had been calling on the regulator to allow the recovery of about P87.7 billion for the Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose transmission line project and the Cebu-Negros-Panay backbone transmission project to help sustain the business.

Notably, the transmission operator was only allowed to collect a total of P201.78 million for the development of the two power lines.