SUMMARY
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BACOLOD, Philippines – The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) energized on Monday, April 8, its P67.98 billion, 230-kilovolt (kV) Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) backbone project, aiming to do away with the crippling power outages in Negros and Panay.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the ceremonial energization and inauguration of the Bacolod, Iloilo, and Cebu substations in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City.
With the 230-kV CNP line and transmission facilities, NGCP said, Negros-Panay’s power supply will be boosted more than double from the current 180 megawatts.
Designated as an Energy Project of National Significance (EPNS) in 2019, CNP is seen to be a game-changer for the energy sector in the Visayas, offering a solution to the persistent power challenges in Negros and Panay islands, which has been experiencing crippling outages since early this year.
Marcos said CNP was important for the current 500-megawatt standby power capacity in northern Negros, adding that it will play a role in enhancing energy sufficiency, sustainability, and stability across Cebu, Negros, and Panay.
He said it would benefit some 16 million people in Central and Western Visayas and showcase the government’s commitment to national empowerment and economic growth.
NGCP said the energization of CNP marked a significant stride towards ensuring a stable transmission grid in the country.
The project comprises 670 transmission towers spanning 432 circuit kilometers of overhead lines, 98.9 circuit kilometers of submarine cables, along with 10 new substations and the expansion of two existing major substations.
Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez expressed hope for reduced blackouts with the the multi-billion-peso transmission infrastructure energized, while Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco) General Manager Arnel Lapore welcomed CNP’s potential to enhance power reliability in the region.
Anthony Almeda, NGCP president and chief executive officer, said CNP would play a vital role in the Visayas like its first two backbone projects – the Hermosa-San Jose 500-kV Transmission Line in Luzon, and the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP), which was commissioned last January.
He said the CNP would strengthen the link between the three major islands of the Visayas and provide a more reliable transfer of power to support the fast-growing economies of the provinces in Cebu, Negros, and Panay.
Meanwhile, Marcos urged NGCP to fulfill its commitment to providing reliable transmission service to the nation through dependable expansions.
Marcos pointed out that power generation in the country still needs a boost by building more baseload power plants, especially in the Visayas.
Completing the six-year CNP project has been no easy feat for the NGCP, which faced public criticisms and condemnation, especially during island-wide blackouts in Negros or Panay early this year.
“The dedication of our personnel, who worked despite security threats, inclement weather conditions, land rows, among others, has been instrumental in driving this project forward,” read part of an NGCP statement. – Rappler.com
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