Energy department orders TransCo role in preparing transmission dev’t plan
THE Department of Energy (DoE) has ordered the participation of the National Transmission Corp. (TransCo) in the preparation, review and evaluation of the country’s transmission development plan (TDP), an activity that in past administrations has been taken on solely by National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).
On Wednesday, DoE distributed a department order signed by Sec. Alfonso G. Cusi on April 4, 2017 ordering privately owned NGCP to “consult and actively involve TransCo from the early stage of the preparation of the TDP and at any stage thereafter.”
The department’s order comes as TransCo and NGCP have issued statements to media on their differing stands on issues, including the use of transmission assets, which the grid operator maintains under a congressional franchise but the state agency owns.
The DoE said TransCo’s involvement includes but is not limited “to the formulation of the assumptions in the initial determination of proposals for expansions, upgrading, additional installations, power system studies i.e. load flow, contingency analysis, short circuit, dynamic studies, reliability, protection and communications assessment, among others.”
“NGCP shall provide all the technical data/documents, including the updated power system models of the power grids used for computer simulations, to DoE and TransCo as deemed necessary in the performance of TDP activities,” the department order said.
It said that before the submission to the DoE, TransCo “shall formally certify that it was consulted in the preparation of the TDP.”
It also said that TransCo and the department should collaborate in the review and evaluation of the TDP submitted by NGCP. The DoE has ordered TransCo to adopt and implement measures that are necessary to ensure NGCP’s compliance with the TDP and in accordance to the terms and conditions set under the concession agreement.
It said the measures include the monitoring, evaluation and disclosure of the operational state of transmission assets, plans for and execution of projects to improve or expand the transmission and substation facilities.
The department has also ordered TransCo to conduct studies and perform related functions that may be assigned by the DoE in the implementation of the Philippine Energy Plan as against the TDP.
“TransCo shall continue providing guidance on government policies and regulatory framework and directions, being the grid owner, in Grid Management Committee (GMC) related activities, pursuant to the Philippine Grid Code.”
DoE has directed NGCP to provide all relevant data and information that the DoE and TransCo may require in the implementation of the order.
With the order, among the activities that might pit TransCo against NGCP are those related to the project that seeks to interconnect the Mindanao grid to that of the Visayas.
TransCo has proposed to take over the project that NGCP has made some initial studies, including the feasibility of a route that will link power transmission between Zamboanga in Mindanao and Cebu in the Visayas via submarine cables.“We finished our feasibility study last December. Thankfully we finally found a viable route,” said Cynthia P. Alabanza, NGCP spokesperson, on Wednesday.
She said the company had filed its application with the Energy Regulatory Commission covering the project on April 19.
“That is the first step to the completion of the project,” said Ms. Alabanza, who also heads NGCP’s corporate communications and public affairs unit. —