ERC approves P5-B NGCP transmission projects

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has approved some P5 billion worth of transmission projects of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines. The ERC said it approved National Grid's P2.089-billion 230-kilovolt (kV) Kalayaan-New Makban transmission upgrading project and the 1.749-billion 230-kV New Antipolo substation project. The Kalayaan-New Makban project is intended to accommodate the full dispatch of existing baseload power plants and to commission future power generation projects in South Luzon. The New Antipolo project, which involves the construction of a new 230/115 kV substation, is intended to sustain the continuing increase of loads within Metro Manila. ERC also approved National Grid's 230-kV San Esteban-Laoag transmission project. It is intended to accommodate the installation of the connection facility for wind projects — Energy Development Corp.'s 86-megawatt (MW) wind project and Northern Luzon UPC Asia Corp.'s 82-MW wind project. Also, the P456-million San Esteban-Laoag project involves the construction of 500 meters of 115-kV transmission line, expansion of the existing Laoag substation, and the installation of control and protection equipment at the Laoag, Curimao, Bantay, and San Esteban substations. ERC likewise approved the P1.1-billion Tayabas substation expansion project, which involves the installation of additional 600 megavolt ampere (MVA), 500/230 kV transformer protection at the Tayabas substation. The Tayabas substation is intended to deliver power from the 735-MW Pagbilao coal-fired power plant and the geothermal power plants in Bicol and Leyte. The National Grid has a pending petition with the ERC for approval of its P267.98-million Visayas substation reliability project 1 (Compostela substation expansion project) that is expected to increase the present substation capacity of the Compostela substation, thus improving the reliability of the Visayas grid. It also sought the approval for the Dasmariñas EHV substation project, which involves the construction of a 600-MVA additional substation capacity. The project is intended to maintain the provision for "single outage or N-1 contingency during the maximum dispatch of the 1,200-MW Ilijan natural gas plants, 600-MW Quezon Power Philippines coal plant, and the Pagbilao coal-fired power plant. —JE, GMANews.TV