NGCP to Upgrade Transmission Facilities at Agus

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) wants to repair the transmission facilities that connect the Agus hydroelectric plant to the grid to help improve power supply in Mindanao. In a petition before the Energy Regulatory Commission, NGCP asked that it be allowed to upgrade the 59-year-old switchyard located in the vicinity of the Agus 6 hydropower facility.

“It is high time that NGCP rehabilitated the Agus 6 switchyard to improve its condition and ensure its reliable operations. An outage from the switchyard would be very critical to the stability of the power supply in Mindanao, which is badly needed,” Cynthia P. Alabanza, NGCP spokesman, said.

The project will have three components: the construction of a new 69-kilovolt (kV) facility; rehabilitation of the existing 138-kV facility; and construction of a new control-room building.

NGCP estimates the project would cost P721 million.

A large portion of Mindanao’s power supply comes from the Agus plant. It also provides contingency reserve to the grid. However, the facility’s switchyard, which connects it to the grid, is already old, defective and prone to frequent breakdowns. Further, the equipment installed in the switchyard is already obsolete, making replacement and repairs difficult for NGCP.

NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining and developing the country’s power grid. It transmits high-voltage electricity through “power superhighways” that include the interconnected system of transmission lines and towers, substations and related assets.