The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) successfully energized the P52 billion Mindanao-Visayas interconnection project (MVIP) with an initial load of 22.5 megawatts (MW) carried by high voltage submarine and overhead lines last April 30.
“We expect to gradually increase the MVIP’s transfer capacity to 50 MW by mid-May and 112 MW by the end of the month before energizing to its full transfer capacity of 450 MW by the third quarter of this year,” the company said in a statement yesterday.
The MVIP is comprised of a 184 circuit-kilometer (ckm) high-voltage direct current submarine transmission line connecting the power grids of Mindanao and Visayas with a transfer capacity of 450 MW expandable to as much as 900 MW.
The project also includes converter stations in both regions and more than 500ckm of overhead lines to facilitate the flow of electricity.
NGCP said the project is expected to improve power stability and reliability across the country and lessen instances of power interruptions while also promoting energy resource sharing as excess power generated can now be transmitted to the regions.
NGCP said parts of the MVIP were completed in 2022 including the Lala-Aurora 138 kilovolt (kV) transmission line, the 350kV submarine cable and cable terminal stations in Santander, Cebu and Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte.
“NGCP is committed to providing the Filipino people with a reliable transmission network which is the backbone of the nation’s development. The completion of the MVIP is a significant step towards achieving that goal,” the company said. -Jed Macapagal
