Cebu, Bohol get much-needed power boost
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has energized portions of the Cebu-Bohol transmission line, which is expected to improve supply reliability in the provinces.
In a statement, the Department of Energy (DOE) said the activation of the Dumanjug-Corella 230 kilovolt (kV) Line 1 and Dumanjug 70 MVAR, which are part of the Cebu-Bohol 230 kV interconnection project, was a welcome development.
It said the energization came at the right time as Bohol has been recording increasing power demand amid its robust tourism sector.
According to the DOE, the completion of the transmission line is expected in December.
“Ensuring sufficient transmission capacity is crucial for the country’s economic development, as it promotes a reliable power supply that supports economic growth and investment,” Energy Chief Raphael Lotilla said.
Last week, the grid operator said about 59 million power consumers in Luzon would benefit from the energized P20.94-billion Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose transmission line.
At a press conference in Bataan, NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza said that as long as power plants do not trip, the grid operator has a boosted network of transmission lines to deliver electricity, which can avoid widespread outages.
Based on the DOE’s list of existing and committed power projects as of April, an additional 2,554 megawatts (MW) will come from 17 committed power generation projects that are expected to go online within the next three years.
These are Mariveles Coal-Fired Power Plant Units 2 to 6, Masinloc Power Plant Units 4 and 5, Mariveles Hydroelectric Power Project, San Marcelino Solar Power Project, Subic New PV Solar Power Plant Project, PAVI Green Orion Solar Power Plant Project, Palauig Solar Power Project, Samal Solar Power Project, Bataan-Zambales CW Wind Power Project, Hermosa Battery Energy Storage System, Subic Battery Energy Storage System and Phase 2 of the PCCP Limay Battery Energy Storage System Project.
President Marcos earlier ordered the DOE and NGCP to finish 70 transmission line projects to ensure Filipinos have a “dependable and adequate energy supply.”
Alabanza said the NGCP, for its part, would still need to check which projects must be prioritized. However, she expressed confidence in the NGCP’s capacity to comply with the order given the financial resources and technological expertise of the grid operator.
