The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) will implement a ₱13-billion project that will allow more power to be transmitted to Negros Island.
The first stage of the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) 230 kilovolt Backbone Project, which would involve the installation of more submarine cables and overhead lines, is set to be completed in 2015 in time for additional production capacity in Panay in 2016.
With the additional production, Panay is expected to have excess power of 574 megawatts (mw) during peak hours and 692 mw during off-peak periods.
Excess power can also be transmitted to Cebu when needed.
Interconnection
"Cebu is a concentrated area with bigger facilities and more (power) supply is needed," said lawyer Cynthia Alabanza, NGCP spokesperson.
She said Cebu can get power from other islands in the Visayas because of interconnection in the grid.
Nine generating plants with a combined capacity of 356 mw will be constructed in Panay Island, according to NGCP's application. "Thus, by 2015, the total capacity of Panay Island will be almost 733 mw."
Panay Island has a total installed capacity of 493.48 mw and a total dependable capacity of 377.4 mw.
In a June 24, 2013 decision, the Energy Regulatory Commission approved NGCP's application for provisional authority to implement the project.
In its eight-page decision, the ERC said it found NGCP's application "sufficient in form and in substance."
Increase
The CNP 230kv Backbone Project aims to increase the power transfer capability of the submarine cable interconnection between the Provinces of Cebu, Negros and Panay.
Under the project, there will be an extension of the existing 230 kV transmission corridor from the Compostela substation in Cebu to Panay Island.
The backbone project, which is part of the power transmission company's Visayas Grid Development Program, will be implemented in three stages.
The entire project is expected to be completed in 2021, said Hannel Tamayo, NGCP Visayas system planning division project engineer.
Capacity
If energized at 230kv, the overhead lines will have a transfer capacity of 600 mw per circuit while the submarine cable interconnections will have minimum capacity of 300 mw.
"As a private company, we can build what the grid requires," Alabanza said.
Tamayo said there is a need to construct new substations and new transmission lines.
He admitted, though, that NGCP has difficulties acquiring right-of-way on properties in urban areas.
Cities
Meanwhile, the company is implementing other transmission development projects such as the connection between the cities of Cebu and Mandaue.
A re-routing has to be done via Butuanon River until the Mandaue substation because the original route entailed installing transmission lines along heavily populated areas.
Tamayo also said that the Marcelo Fernan bridge can no longer accommodate another cable to connect to Lapu-Lapu City. NGCP opted to build a submarine cable that stretches about half a kilometer to serve Mactan Electrical Company.
The Cebu-Lapu-Lapu transmission line project is up for bidding as well as the Calungcalung Colon transmission line in Toledo City.
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