NGCP set to finalize 10-year transmission development plan

MANILA, Philippines - The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) is set to finalize its 10-year transmission development plan (TDP), a company official said.

NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza said the company will be holding a series of public consultations on the TDP starting next month.

The TDP is prepared and implemented by NGCP to expand, upgrade, rehabilitate, repair and maintain the nationwide transmission system, as mandated by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001.

This plan is formed in consultation with electric power industry stakeholders such as generators, distribution utilities, customers directly connected to the grid as well as local government units.

The TDP outlines the ongoing and future projects of NGCP within a 10-year period. Part of the TDP will be allotted to the major network capital expenditures projects for the period 2011 to 2015.

NGCP aims to balance the demand and supply of electricity to be able to efficiently serve all of its customers, which include generators, private distribution utilities, electric cooperatives, local government units, ecozones, industries and directly-connected companies.

NGCP is composed of Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp. (now owned by One Taipan Holdings led by Henry Sy Jr.), Calaca High Power Corp. led by Robert Coyuito and State Grid Corp. of China.

The consortium won the concession to operate and manage the system run by the National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) in a public bidding conducted by the government in December 2007. The consortium offered $3.95 billion for the concession contract.

NGCP took over the operations and maintenance of the country’s transmission network, which consists of 20,236 circuit kilometers (combined length of transmission and sub-transmission) and a total capacity of 24,607 mega-volt amperes, from the government on Jan. 15, 2009.

It was granted a franchise by Congress to operate and maintain TransCo for a 25-year period, renewable for another 25 years.