NGCP gears up for WL expansion
IN ORDER to cater to the impending load growth in the western part of Luzon, NGCP is working on a new transmission corridor through its Western Luzon 500-kiloVolt (kV) backbone project.
The project will be constructed to accommodate the bulk generation in the Zambales area, such as the 2x300 Megawatt (MW) RP Energy Coal Fired Power Plant.
The first stage of the project will involve the construction of the Castillejos-Hermosa 500kV transmission line and will be connected to the new Hermosa Substation. The ERC-approved PhP1.34 Billion project is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2020.
The second stage of the project will involve the construction of a new Castillejos substation, Bolo Substation, and the Castillejos-Bolo 500kV Transmission line. Stage 2 of the project is slated to be completed by 2025.
Apart from this, NGCP is also gearing up for its other projects in Bataan, particularly the Mariveles Hermosa 500kV Transmission Line Project, the Hermosa-San Jose 500kV Transmission Line Project, and the Hermosa-Floridablanca 69kV Transmission Line Project.
The construction of the Mariveles-Hermosa 500kV Transmission Line Project will serve as a new transmission corridor to accommodate around 2,836MW from power plants such as the GN Power Dinginin Coal Fired Power Plant, SMC Consolidated Power Coal Fired Power Plant, and the KEPCO-HHIC Coal Fired Power Plant Project. The project entails the construction of a new
Mariveles Substation, along with the transmission line.
Meanwhile, the Hermosa-San Jose 500kV Transmission Line Project is being constructed as a new transmission corridor, which will cater to existing power plants in Bataan such as the Limay Coal Fired Power Plant, Subic Enron Diesel Power Plant, and generation capacity additions like the RP Energy Coal Fired Power Plant and San Miguel Corporation Coal Fired Power Plant.
The Hermosa-Floridablanca 69kV Transmission Line, with an ERC approved cost of P315.77 Million, which was energized last February, was constructed to support the old Hermosa-Guagua 69kV line and to address the low voltage concerns in the area.
The Mariveles-Hermosa 500kV Transmission Line Project will cost P5.94 Billion, while the Hermosa-San Jose 500kV Transmission Line Project will cost P10.28 Billion, and both will be completed in the last quarter of 2020.
“All of these projects in the western part of Luzon are critical in the stability and reliability of the transmission system in the near future,” NGCP said. “Of course, the support and help of our stakeholders are still crucial in the smooth implementation and on-time completion of these projects,” NGCP added.
The Western Luzon 500kV Backbone, Mariveles-Hermosa 500kV Transmission Line, Hermosa-San Jose 500kV Transmission Line, and Hermosa-Floridablanca 69kV Transmission Line projects have been certified by the Energy Investment Coordinating Council as Energy Projects of National Significance last January.
NGCP is a Filipinoled, privately owned company in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid, led by majority shareholders Henry Sy, Jr. and Robert Coyiuto, Jr.