President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) called for the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to complete all its deliverables including the vital Mindanao-Visayas and Cebu-Negros-Panay interconnections.
According to the Energy Regulatory Commission, there are 68 grid connections that are delayed.
“We are conducting a performance review of our private concessionaire, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. We look to NGCP to complete all its deliverables, starting with the vital Mindanao-Visayas and Cebu-Negros-Panay interconnections,” Marcos said.
As NGCP energized its Cebu-Negros-Panay 230kV Backbone Stage 1, interconnecting Cebu, Negros, and Panay, this means faster and more efficient power sharing among the provinces while the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) is seen to improve power stability and reliability across the country.
The MVIP will benefit consumers by providing them a more reliable and sustainable power transmission service that will lessen the instances of power interruptions.
This year, NGCP is set to complete both critical projects which will also promote energy resource sharing, as excess power generated in one region can now be transmitted to the other.
The Cebu-Negros-Panay interconnections is a three-stage project that includes the Negros-Cebu interim phase, the upgrading of the transmission system in Cebu stage and the stage 3 which is designed to deliver excess power equivalent to the output of two 400-MW plants from Panay and Negros to Cebu.
In response to the call of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. during the SONA, NGCP in a statement said it will pull out all stops to expedite the full completion of the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection and Stage 3 of the Cebu-Negros-Panay project, both of which were partially energized earlier this year.
“We continue to call on all LGUs to provide the necessary support with the expeditious approval of all relevant permits and assistance with issues on right of way which continue to hinder the seamless implementation of these projects,” the NGCP statement added.
NGCP’s President and Chief Executive Officer Anthony Almeda said they agree with the President’s sentiments.
“Even before the SONA, NGCP has already been working towards the vision that he mentioned. After hearing it straight from him–his vision that is completely aligned with ours–we know we are on the right track and we are more motivated to complete all our objectives in a prompt manner,” Almeda added.
Among the top priorities on NGCP’s agenda are the swift completion of the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) and Stage 3 of the Cebu-Negros-Panay Interconnection Project (CNP). Both crucial projects have been partially energized, with the MVIP on track to be fully energized to 450MW by the third quarter of this year.EAD-PIA6
