Mindanao, Visayas power grid interconnection eyed in 2020

CEBU, Philippines – The plan to interconnect the Mindanao and Visayas grids is estimated to be completed between 2018 and 2020, an energy official said yesterday.

Jesus T. Tamang, director of DoE Energy Policy and Planning Bureau, said the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is currently doing a feasibility study for the grid interconnection.

"Hopefully the study will be completed the soonest time," Tamang said in an interview at the sidelines of the Energy Smart 2015 summit yesterday.

According to Tamang, the initial study identified Zamboanga as the initial interconnection point for the Leyte-Mindanao grid interconnection project.

The DoE official explained this is one alternate route being eyed as having the transmission submarine cable passed through the sea seemed to be costly and challenging.

The Negros Island and Cebu are also being considered as alternate areas for the connection.

The proposed interconnection project is part of the Mindanao Energy Plan 2012-2030 to allow Mindanao import power from Visayas and Luzon during deficiency.

Initially, NGCP estimated the project would cost some P24 billion.

Currently, only the Luzon and Visayas grids are interconnected while Mindanao is the only isolated power grid in the country.

The interconnection allows Visayas to get power from Luzon when in need, and vice versa.

Mindanao's interconnection would allow it to either buy from or sell to the other two power grids.