NGCP completes P7 billion Mindanao backbone

Danessa Rivera (The Philippine Star ) - December 18, 2020 - 12:00am
https://www.philstar.com/business/2020/12/18/2064505/ngcp-completes-p7-billion-mindanao-backbone

MANILA, Philippines — The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has completed its P7-billion Mindanao backbone project which will stabilize power transmission in the island.

The grid operator energized the Toril-Bunawan 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line, the final component of its P7.09-billion Mindanao backbone project, which will secure the reliability of power transmission services in the entire Mindanao.

“With this completion, the line will supplement the existing Davao-Toril-Matanao 138kV transmission line in transmitting any and all available and incoming generation, ensuring transmission service reliability for the entire region,” NGCP said in a statement.

The Mindanao backbone, as one of NGCP’s critical projects, will connect bulk generation from the northern and southern parts of Mindanao and ensure stable and continuous power from Lanao del Norte, passing through Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon, all the way to Davao del Sur and Davao Occidental.

Among the generating facilities which will connect to the line are the GNPower Kauswagan coal-fired power plant, Therma South Inc. Power Plant, and San Miguel Consolidated Power Corp. power plant, with a total combined capacity of 1,440 megawatts (MW).

The project is also an integral part of NGCP’s Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP), which will link the Visayas and Mindanao islands and realize sharing of power within the entire country.

“The Mindanao backbone is critical to the MVIP because through this project, the new transmission line will accommodate the capacities needed to fully support and utilize the capabilities of the interconnection,” NGCP said.

Done in phases, the Mindanao backbone project involves the construction of the Matanao-Toril 230-kV and Toril-Bunawan 230-kV transmission lines and the upgrade of the Balo-i-Villanueva-Maramag-Bunawan line from 138-kV to 230-kV.