Napocor sets bidding for P4.4-B project

The National Power Corp. (NAPOCOR) is expected to bid out the Stage 2 of the P4.408 billion Leyte-Bohol Interconnection Project by September this year.

Based on Napocor documents, with this scheduled bidding, the project will be completed by April 2003.

The Stage 2 of the project will involve the upgrading of the interconnection facilities to 138 kilovolts (kV) with the erection of 138 kV, 130 kilometers, transmission line on steel towers from Ormoc substation to Maasin substation and the installation of power transformers in Ubay and Maasin substation.

The Napocor had contracted the Electric Power Development Company Ltd. (EPDC) of Japan as its consultant for the Stage 2 of the project.

At present, the state-run power firm is in the process of pre-qualifying interested bidders. The evaluation report is expected to be finalized soon.

The bid evaluation criteria were submitted to Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) last June 6 to seek the bank’s concurrence.

JBIC provided the funding requirement for the project under its 21st Yen Loan Package to the government.

Of the P4.408 billion project cost, some P2.308 billion was spent for the Stage 1 while the remaining P2.1 billion will be used for the Stage 2.

The Stage 1 started in July 1999 and was completed in January this year by the consortium led by Kanematsu Corp. and Nisso Iwai Corp.

The interconnection project will allow the delivery of geothermal power from Leyte to the Province of Bohol and at the same time increase the capacity and improve the reliability of the island grids.

Prior to the implementation of the Leyte-Bohol Interconnection Project, Napocor has already implemented/completed the Leyte-Samar interconnectioin in 1983; the Negros-Panay interconnection in 1990; the Negros-Cebu Interconnection in 1993; the Leyte-Cebu in 1997 and the Leyte-Luzon interconnection in 1998.