THE Department of Energy said that the completion of stage one of the Cebu-Negros-Panay Interconnection Project by the end of 2022 is expected to enable the transmission of up to 85 megawatts (MW) in surplus power from the Western Visayas.
The project is among the first interconnection projects of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).
Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla said at a forum organized by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines on Monday that the Visayas grid will have adequate reserves through the first half of 2023.
“But as of June 2022, the average stranded capacity in the region stands at 122.6 MW due to transmission constraints,” Mr. Lotilla said.
He said that the first stage of the interconnection project is known as the Negros-Cebu Interim phase.
The second stage is the upgrading of the transmission system in Cebu, a timeline for which was not specified.
Stage three is scheduled to be completed by June 2023. It is designed to deliver excess power equivalent to the output of two 400-MW plants from Panay and Negros to Cebu.
The Cebu-Negros-Panay Interconnection Project consists of a 230-kilovolt backbone which will ultimately supply the rest of the Visayas from Cebu.
Mr. Lotilla also noted the importance of completing “the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project in order to bring the additional capacity to the Visayas, and eventually to Luzon,” Mr. Lotilla said.
The P52-billion Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project hopes to connect the three main grids. The NGCP has said that the project is expected to be completed in 2022. — Ashley Erika O. Jose