Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 24) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said the grid operator is going through a performance review because of delayed projects.
“We are conducting a performance review of our private concessionaire, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP),” Marcos said during his second State of the Nation Address, noting that 68 grid connection projects has been delayed.
In May, the Palace raised the possible retaking of control of NGCP due to issues hounding it.
Among these are power interruptions in a number of provinces, including Isabela, Quirino, and Ilocos Sur.
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in July also gave the NGCP 15 days to explain its then reported 37 pending transmission projects. These projects were delayed by an average of 820 days or almost three years, with the longest reaching more than seven years.
Marcos urged the NGCP to “complete all of its deliverables, starting with the vital Mindanao-Visayas and the Cebu-Negros-Panay interconnections.”
In a statement, the NGCP promised to “concentrate all available resources toward the completion of ongoing transmission projects while expediting others in the pipeline.”
It said that among its priorities are the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) and Stage 3 of the Cebu-Negros-Panay Interconnection Project.
“Both crucial projects have been partially energized, with the MVIP on track to be fully energized to 450MW by the third quarter of this year. To expedite these projects, NGCP called upon all local government units to extend essential support by promptly granting relevant permits and providing necessary assistance in addressing right-of-way issues that have hindered the smooth implementation of these projects,” NGCP said.
Aside from this, NGCP said it will use its partnership with the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) to hasten the transition to renewable and sustainable energy sources.
“The collaboration with SGCC allows NGCP to accommodate the increasing adoption of renewable energy technologies into the national grid,” it noted.
NGCP said it is also focusing on improving the disaster resilience of the grid infrastructure, upgrading its equipment, and improving manpower.
