Aboitiz-Vivant-Vena JV to build Northern Samar transmission assets
Lihangin Wind Energy Corp. (LWEC) will build point-to-point transmission facilities to directly connect its wind park in Northern Samar to the power grid.
LWEC secured on Thursday the Energy Regulatory Commission’s approval of its proposed project. That is, to develop its own point-to-point transmission facilities for its 206.25-megawatt San Isidro Wind Power Project in Northern Samar.
LWEC is a joint venture of Aboitiz Renewables Inc., Vivant Energy Corp. and Singapore-based Vena Energy.
The facilities would be linked to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines’ (NGCP) Calbayog substation. However, NGCP will operate and maintain these facilities.
LWEC said building the transmission assets was necessary to supply the grid system with added power.
Online by February 2026
The firm tapped Powerchina Philippines Corp. as its engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the said planned transmission facilities.
The wind park is designed to have 33 wind turbine generators, with commercial operation expected by February 2026.
“LWEC is one with Department of Energy’s vision of boosting the generation of electricity from renewable sources and reducing the environmental impact brought by the use of traditional fossil fuels,” it said in a separate document.
The group also said that the timely completion and operation of the wind project could jack up the Visayas’ electricity needs. The grid was placed under “yellow” and “red” alert “several times” last year due to thin reserve margins.
In a yellow alert, the power supply can still meet demand, but it will serve as a warning that when a plant breaks down one way or another, it will result in brownouts.
A red alert, meanwhile, means that supply is no longer sufficient to meet demand. Brownouts could happen if demand is not managed.
