NGCP draws up comprehensive grid interconnection masterplan

MANILA, Philippines — The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) has laid down a masterplan to interconnect the whole grid, including smaller island grids, to address the country’s growing power demand.

Under the Transmission Development Plan (TDP) 2016-2040, NGCP has strategically laid out the plans for the further expansion of the Philippine power grid.  It also details the electricity transmission projects that have been proposed and scheduled for implementation for the next 25 years.

As the system operator, it also oversees grid security and reliability, power quality, and power dispatching and scheduling.

The TDP also addresses the transmission planning approach for the renewable energy sector, particularly wind and solar, which have corresponding action plans to fully support the development and integration of renewable energy into the country’s power grid NGCP said the TDP is aligned and harmonized with the DOE’s Power Development Plan 2016-2040, which details the government agency’s planning horizon for the Philippine energy sector.

As of March 2018, the grid operator had a total transmission line length of 20,848.54 circuit-kilometers (ckm), and a total substation capacity of 34,177.00 megavolt-amperes (MVA), spread across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

By 2040, NGCP plans to increase its total transmission line length to 35,312 ckm and its total substation capacity to 88,036 MVA to meet the projected system peak demand of 49,844 MW nationwide.

“Through our TDP, we can ensure that we have the necessary infrastructure to fulfill our vision of a strong, unified electricity transmission network that can meet the country’s increasing power needs until 2040—and beyond,” it said. 

Part of the TDP is the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project, which is expected to be completed by December 2020.

NGCP also plans to interconnect emergent island grids to improve transmission backbones and alternative transmission corridors, and develop resiliency policies for electricity transmission facilities.

Under a government-granted 25-year concession, NGCP holds the rights to operate and maintain electricity transmission systems and other related facilities, and to engage in ancillary businesses that will maximize the utilization of the country’s power transmission network and infrastructure.

NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately-owned corporation in charge of operating and developing the country’s state-owned power grid.

It is led by majority shareholders Henry Sy Jr. and Robert Coyiuto Jr.