The National Electrification Administration (NEA) has tapped Spanish engineering consultancy Osprel SL to lead a feasibility study to establish the possibility of connecting the island province of Camiguin to the Mindanao electricity grid via submarine power cables.

In a statement on Wednesday, NEA said the project, formalized through a contract signing on Tuesday, covers electrical, bathymetric, meteorological, and environmental studies to improve the island’s power reliability.

“This is a meticulous and technically demanding endeavor, but it is precisely what we need if we want to move forward with real solutions and build lasting and sustainable progress,” NEA Administrator Antonio Mariano Almeda said.

A detailed technical plan will be drawn up for the optimized submarine connection to guide project development and construction and enable the integration of renewable energy in Camiguin.

Camiguin, located in the Bohol Sea off the northern coast of Mindanao, is served solely by the Camiguin Electric Cooperative, Inc., based in Mambajao.

NEA is mandated to achieve total electrification across the country, working through 121 electric cooperatives as its implementing arm.

Aside from bringing power to remote and underserved communities, NEA also backs efforts to link isolated island grids to the main transmission network.