Mindanao-Visayas grid connection seen completed by June

THE Department of Energy (DoE) said on Monday that a transmission project linking the electricity grids of the Visayas and Mindanao will be completed by the end of June.

“According to the NGCP (National Grid Corp. of the Philippines), the interconnection between Mindanao and Visayas will be 80% complete by March,” Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla told reporters on the sidelines of a briefing on Monday.

Mr. Lotilla said that by June the submarine cable link will be capable of supplying around 450 megawatts of power from Mindanao to the Visayas.

“MVIP (Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project) will be completed (by June) and NGCP has also indicated that… the Cebu-Negros-Panay interconnection… will also be completed by June 30, 2023,” Mr. Lotilla said.

The P52-billion MVIP will enable the sharing of energy across the entire country, bringing power from areas in surplus to areas suffering deficits.

The Cebu-Negros-Panay Interconnection Project consists of a 230-kilovolt backbone which will ultimately supply the rest of the Visayas from Cebu.

The NGCP’s website indicates that the project cost around P53.9 billion.

Separately, the DoE said it continues to rule out the possibility of red alerts during the dry season.

The DoE has said that the Luzon grid may experience at least 12 yellow alerts this year. These yellow alerts are expected to happen between April and June, as well as during the September to November period.

“It is really Luzon that is problematic. Visayas and Mindanao especially Mindanao have adequate overall supply,” Mr. Lotilla said.

Yellow alerts are issued when reserves fall below a designated safety margin. Red alerts are raised when the supply-demand balance deteriorates further, signaling the possibility of rotational brownouts.

“What’s more important is the maintenance program for the different power plants is also being scheduled. We try to avoid as much as possible for maintenance to fall within those critical weeks,” Mr. Lotilla said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose