The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines District 2 Cebu-Bohol Area (NGCP-District 2 Cebu-Bohol Area) said Sunday that a backup power transmission project is being constructed to strengthen the reliability of electricity supply to Mactan Island, covering Lapu-Lapu City and the Municipality of Cordova.

Michael Ortega Ligalig, government relations and regional affairs lead specialist for NGCP District 2 Cebu-Bohol Area, told media that the project will provide an alternative transmission route for electricity to Mactan Island in case the existing underground cable fails.

The Cebu-Lapu-Lapu 230-kilovolt Interconnection Project will establish an additional transmission link between mainland Cebu and Mactan Island using a combination of a submarine cable and an overhead transmission line.

“This project is our way to strengthen and ensure that Mactan Island has a reliable power supply. Supposing our Mactan Island relies on an underground cable, NGCP ensured that we have a submarine cable and an overhead transmission line so that our power supply to Mactan Island will be reliable,” Ligalig said.

The existing transmission setup leaves Mactan Island vulnerable to power disruptions if the underground cable is damaged or becomes unavailable because of an operational failure.

Under the project, the submarine cable will cross the waters between mainland Cebu and Mactan Island. From the coastal section, the connection will transition to an overhead transmission line supported by steel towers.

The overhead section will pass through parts of Mandaue City, including Barangay Tabok, before connecting to the transmission system on the Mactan side.