NGCP project benefits 59 million in Luzon

HERMOSA, Bataan, Philippines — Around 59 million consumers in Luzon will benefit from the landmark P20.9-billion transmission line project of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

The NGCP inaugurated yesterday the 500-kilovolt (kV) Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose facility, which is expected to provide a more secure and stable power transmission service in the region.

“This critical backbone provides a new high-voltage link capable of transmitting a total of 8,000 MW (megawatts) of power from power plants in Bataan and Zambales,” NGCP president Anthony Almeda said.

Fully energized last month, the project is a major component of NGCP’s planned 500-kV transmission backbone in Western Luzon that will support the country’s growing energy demands.

Covering the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga and Bataan, the project consists of 395 transmission towers, 275.6 circuit kilometers of overhead lines, two new substations and 2,000 megavolt amperes (MVA) of substation capacity.

“Commitment to excellence has always been part of NGCP’s DNA, and we will continue to strive harder, with the support of our national government, to bring better service to all Filipinos,” Almeda said.

President Marcos, who led the inauguration, said the completion of the project demonstrated the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure a reliable and resilient power supply for the country.

“It will also help in the administration’s thrust to transition to renewable energy to mitigate the impact of geopolitical uncertainties and, of course, the effects of climate change,” Marcos said.

The Chief Executive also directed the Department of Energy and the NGCP to complete close to 70 transmission projects on time, particularly the Batangas-Mindoro interconnection project and the Northern Luzon 230-kV loop.

“With our energized efforts pushing our national development forward, we can build greener and more sustainable cities and achieve total electrification for the entire country,” Marcos said.

Joining the President at the event were NGCP vice chairman Henry Sy Jr., Energy Undersecretary Rowena Guevarra, Bataan officials led by Gov. Jose Enrique Garcia and Almeda. — Helen Flores