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Brix Lelis - The Philippine Star
February 17, 2025 | 12:00am
The ERC, the country’s power regulator, approved the P1.94-billion Granada 230 kiloVolt, the P1.36-billion Sumangga 138 kV, the P1.13-billion La Carlota 138 kV and the P583.53-million Nagsaag-Tumana 69 kV projects.
MANILA, Philippines — The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has secured approval from the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to implement four transmission projects worth over P5 billion.
The ERC, the country’s power regulator, approved the P1.94-billion Granada 230 kiloVolt, the P1.36-billion Sumangga 138 kV, the P1.13-billion La Carlota 138 kV and the P583.53-million Nagsaag-Tumana 69 kV projects.
With target completion between 2025 and 2028, these capital expenditure projects are expected to augment the country’s electrical superhighway and improve power supply in Bacolod, Ormoc and Pangasinan.
According to the ERC, the Granada 230-kV substation project will help address overloading in the existing power transformers at the Bacolod Substation.
“(The) subject project will provide a new connection point for power customers in Negros Occidental, which shall address the load curtailment and power interruption in the area,” the commission said.
The NGCP is required to finish the project on or before Aug. 31, 2028.
The proposed Sumangga 138-kV substation aims to resolve overloading issues in the existing Ormoc-Baybay 69-kV line and seeks to reduce the strain on power transformers at the Ormoc Substation.
The project, set for completion by end-March 2028, will also help ensure compliance with the standard contingency provision, preventing load curtailment or power interruption during contingencies.
Furthermore, the NGCP wants to address the overloading of the Bacolod-San Enrique 69-kV line through the proposed La Carlota 138-kV substation.
Slated for completion by August 2028, the project also seeks to improve the reliability of power supply in Negros Occidental and avoid power outages in the area.
The Nagsaag-Tumana project, meanwhile, is meant to provide additional transmission capacity to meet the rising power demand in eastern Pangasinan.
It will also address the overloading of the Nagsaag-Umingan 69-kV line by transferring other loads of Pangasinan 3 Electric Cooperative Inc. to the new power line, the ERC said.
The regulator has ordered the grid operator to complete the project by Nov. 30 this year.
Earlier, ERC chairperson and CEO Monalisa Dimalanta said the approval of NGCP projects underscored a commitment to “ensuring the reliability, security and affordability of our country’s electricity supply.”
“It is thus critical for the NGCP to ensure the efficient and timely completion of the projects so we can further boost the ability of our grid to absorb new power capacities needed to meet the growing demand of our communities, businesses and industries,” she said.
A privately owned corporation, the NGCP is responsible for the operation, maintenance and development of the state-owned power grid.
