P20-B Luzon transmission line now in full swing
‘Full completion and energization at full capacity of this critical facility, (strengthens) and (expands) the grid under NGCP’
The Philippines’ national grid has received a significant upgrade with the full energization of the P20.94-billion Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line, which has a capacity of 8,000 megawatts (MW).
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) announced that the Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose 500kV facility can now accommodate an additional 2,200 MW of supply from new power plants in Bataan and Zambales for the Luzon grid.
“Full completion and energization at full capacity of this critical facility, (strengthens) and (expands) the grid under NGCP,” the company said in a statement.
Line 1 energized
Line 1 was energized to allow for power generation in Bataan with a 2,000 MW transfer capacity, which is only a quarter of its full capacity pending the completion of the unfinished portion of the line. Its full completion enabled a 4,000 MW line capacity.
The full completion of Line 2, on the other hand, provides an 8,000 MW generation capacity, which is more than sufficient for existing and future generation needs.
The Mariveles-Hermosa-San Jose 500kV line consists of 395 transmission towers, 275.6 circuit kilometers of transmission lines, two new substations, and 2,000 MVA in substation capacity.
Challenges
Although certified as an Energy Project of National Significance, the project faced challenges, including right-of-way issues due to opposition from landowners, lengthy judicial processes, and protracted permitting processes by local government units.
In July 2023, it can be recalled that a portion of the line, owned by Phirst Park Homes Inc., was under a Temporary Restraining Order issued by the Supreme Court.
NGCP halted activities along Towers 170-178, delaying the ongoing stringing of the line’s remaining circuit from July 2023 to April 2024.