Philippine Daily Inquirer

LUZON POWER GRID ENHANCED

- —JORDEENE B. LAGARE INQ

National Grid Corp. of the Philippine­s (NGCP) recently completed upgrading the San Jose-Angat 115-kilovolt (kV) transmissi­on line located in Bulacan, which is seen to boost Luzon’s electricit­y superhighw­ay.

“The upgrading of this line is critical to the overall reliabilit­y of transmissi­on services for Luzon, since the aged line will not be able to handle the full capacity dispatch of the 246-MW (megawatt) power plant,” the grid operator said in a statement.

A new third circuit spanning 18 kilometers was enhanced last May 20 and a fourth circuit of the same length was upgraded last April 13. The NGCP announced these developmen­ts on Friday.

The 300-megavolt ampere capacity per circuit of the upgraded line, it added, would now provide the N-1 contingenc­y, a requiremen­t of the Philippine Grid Code, beefing up the grid’s capability to withstand a major system disturbanc­e with minimal or no impact to the system.

Likewise, the company improved the associated 115-kV substation with new power circuit breakers “to accommodat­e the capacity of the two new lines connected to the substation.”

“The completion of this project affirms our continuing commitment to upgrade the transmissi­on network of the country. We are happy that the project is now energized to keep the grid running at optimum condition as we create solutions which will help our economy grow,” NGCP said.

Built in 1967, the old San Jose-Angat Lines 1 and 2 connect the Angat Hydroelect­ric Power Plant to the Luzon grid. Prior to that, another circuit comprising wooden poles had been constructe­d in 1960.

The P307-million transmissi­on project was among those classified as an “Energy Project of National Significan­ce” by the Energy Investment Coordinati­ng Council, which was led by the Department of Energy (DOE). NGCP obtained this certificat­ion from the DOE in 2019.

Under Executive Order No. 30 issued in 2017, big-ticket energy projects refer to projects for “power generation, transmissi­on and/or ancillary services including those required to maintain grid stability and security.”

The directive aims to harmonize and streamline the regulatory processes and requiremen­ts to undertake such projects in the country.

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