The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) marked 2024 with significant achievements, completing four major grid projects that strengthened the reliability of the country’s power infrastructure.
In January, NGCP inaugurated the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP), followed by the Cebu-Negros-Panay 230-kiloVolt (kV) Backbone in April and the Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose 500kV Line in July.
The year ended on a high note with the full completion of the Cebu-Bohol Interconnection Project (CBIP) in September. The CBIP enhances transmission services and grid stability in Central Visayas while developing a transmission highway in Cebu, the region’s load center, through a new line that efficiently transmits power in and out of the province.
“These achievements reflect NGCP’s strong commitment to advancing grid infrastructure to ensure a stable and resilient power supply for households, businesses, and industries,” NGCP stated.
Improved Services and Reduced Costs
NGCP also reported delivering improved services at lower costs. The company charged only PHP 0.55 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) in 2024, compared to PHP 0.74 under TransCo. Transmission charges accounted for just 3.39% of the electricity bill, while generation and distribution made up 53.17% and 21.81%, respectively.
Since assuming operations from TransCo in 2009, NGCP reduced outages by 82%, demonstrating significant enhancements in grid efficiency and reliability.
Upcoming Projects
NGCP is set to build on its 2024 successes with more projects slated for completion in the coming years. These include:
- New Antipolo 230kV Substation in Rizal.
- Laguindingan 230kV Substation in Misamis Oriental.
- Upgrades and reliability projects across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Additional initiatives include the Tuguegarao–Lal-lo (Magapit) 230kV Transmission Line, Ambuklao-Binga-San Manuel 230kV Line, Western Luzon 500kV Backbone Stage 2, and Nabas-Caticlan-Boracay 138kV Line, among others. These projects aim to enhance voltage stability, reliability, and capacity across the national grid.
“Despite challenges in right-of-way acquisition and permitting, we remain optimistic with the support of relevant government agencies that we are on track to complete these pipeline projects,” NGCP said.
Regulatory Appeals
NGCP renewed its call for swift approval of applications filed with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), emphasizing the importance of timely regulatory actions to its operations. As a regulated entity, NGCP requires ERC approval to implement projects and recover capital expenditures.
“We remain hopeful that the ERC will support our efforts by ensuring a timely and fair recovery of our investments. This is crucial to sustaining our commitment to enhancing the reliability and capacity of the energy infrastructure,” NGCP stated.
