NGCP spending P9.5 billion to upgrade transmission line in Metro Manila

MANILA, Philippines — The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), the country’s sole transmission network operator, is spending P9.5 billion to improve power transmission in Metro Manila and its surrounding areas.

The investment will be used to fund the construction of the new Taguig-Baras 500 kV transmission line project which will help address rising demand for power in the country, particularly in the National Capital Region.

The new line, which will pass through Taguig City and Taytay, Binangonan, Baras and Morong in the province of Rizal, will help decongest other substations servicing Metro Manila and improve the reliability of the transmission system. 

“With the growing load and steadily increasing demand in Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Luzon, the reliability of power transmission is something that NGCP needs to secure,” NGCP said.

NGCP said the new Taguig-Baras 500kV line is one of the major transmission network developments for Metro Manila to ensure that the power requirements of the country’s load center will be adequately and reliably served in the long term.

Initial ground work is now underway for the new transmission line project.

NGCP will also be building a new Taguig 500kV substation and another 230kV transmission line traversing Taguig toward Taytay in Rizal. 

The route survey for the project has already been completed, but with the construction of the new Skyway portion along C-6, coordination meetings are set for the re-routing of a segment of the Taguig-Baras line. 

NGCP is working closely with the local government and concerned agencies with the initial stage of implementation which includes the acquisition of right-of-way, securing of permits, and submission of required documents. 

“We are hoping for the cooperation and support of the public as we aim for the timely completion of the project which will greatly benefit our customers in Metro Manila, Rizal, and nearby provinces,” NGCP said. 

NGCP aims to commence construction of the project by February 2019 with completion targeted in August 2020. It is already set for approval by the Energy Regulatory Commission. 

NGCP is a Filipino-led, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid, led by majority shareholders Henry Sy Jr. and Robert Coyiuto Jr.