IN anticipation of load growth in Mindanao, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) recently energized a 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line, which will loop Northern and Southern Mindanao.
The 213-circuit kilometer-long line from Villanueva, Misamis Oriental to Maramag, Bukidnon, is part of the second stage of the new Mindanao 230-kV Transmission Backbone Project. Known as the Kirahon-Maramag 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 expected to rise.
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 [South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos] 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. 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,” NGCP President and CEO Henry Sy Jr 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.
The Kirahon-Maramag line, with an estimate cost of P988 million traverses two provinces and eight municipalities. NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining and developing the country’s power grid. It transmits high-voltage electricity through “power superhighways” that include the interconnected system of transmission lines, towers, substations and related assets. The consortium holds the 25-year concession contract to operate the country’s power-transmission network and is comprised of Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp., led by Sy; Calaca High Power Corp., led by Robert Coyiuto Jr.; and the State Grid Corp. of China as technical partner.
Lenie Lectura