230-kV line in Mindanao energized

A P988-MILLION 230kilovolt (kV) line, which will loop northern and southern Mindanao, was recently energized in anticipation of load growth in the region, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said Friday.

The 213-circuit kilometer-long line from Villanueva, Misamis Oriental to Maramag, Bukidnon is part of the second stage of new Mindanao 230-kV Transmission Backbone Project, the private firm said.

Known as the KirahonMaramag 230-kV line, the high-voltage transmission facility provides a vital link between north Mindanao, where existing power plants are, and south Mindanao, where the load or demand is foreseen to increase.

The Mindanao Backbone Project intends to increase NGCP’s transmission capacity in Mindanao from 138 kV to 230 kV, thereby providing additional corridor for the transmission of power supply from the Agus and Pulangi Hydro facilities, which accounts for the bulk of power supply in Mindanao.

“The southern part of Mindanao, particularly the Soccsksargen area and Davao, is the load center of the island since it is also a center for commerce. NGCP needs to ensure that the power generated from the north is transmitted reliably to Soccsksargen and Davao, especially during summer season,” NGCP president and CEO Henry Sy Jr.

The Kirahon-Maramag line and the new Mindanao Transmission Backbone will ensure that the supply is fully dispatched to meet the demand in the south, he said.

According to NGCP, the southeast and southwest areas of Mindanao comprise 49 percent of the whole Mindanao power demand.

This further highlights the necessity to increase the transmission capacity from north to south through the Mindanao Transmission Backbone Project, Sy said.

The Kirahon-Maramag line traverses two provinces and eight municipalities.

NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid. (SDR/Sunnex)