THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said on Tuesday that it has energized the 230-kilovolt (kV) Cebu-Bohol interconnection project (CBIP), which will address growing power demand in Bohol.
In a statement, the grid operator said that the transmission project will play “a crucial role in improving transmission services and grid stability in the Central Visayas.”
“It will also help improve the transmission highway in Cebu, the load center of the Visayas, with a new line to transmit power in and out of the province,” the company said.
The P19.76-billion project connection Argao, Cebu, and Maribojoc in Bohol province via 54.6 circuit-kilometers of submarine cable crossing the Bohol Strait, and 97.6 circuit-kilometers of transmission lines.
The latter comprises 179 overhead towers from Argao to the Dumanjug Substation in Cebu, and from Maribojoc to the Corella Substation in Bohol.
“The CBIP is part of a long-term plan to provide a 230-kV loop covering Leyte, Cebu, and Bohol. With its completion, the CBIP will now provide a new transmission corridor, thereby improving grid stability, security, and reliability for everyone’s benefit,” NGCP said.
The project was filed with the Energy Regulatory Commission in 2017 and subsequently refiled in 2019 to update the components and cost, the company said. However, it was given provisional approval only in 2022 with a cost of P19.76 billion.
“While there were some difficulties with permitting from local government units and several landowners in terms of right-of-way acquisition, the support and cooperation of national and local government agencies and stakeholders were vital to expediting the project’s completion and energization, which in turn will help improve transmission services in the region,” the NGCP said. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera