National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has energised the PHP52 billion Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) with an initial load of 22.5 MW.
This is expected to improve power stability and reliability nationwide. The project comprises of a 184 ckt km high-voltage direct current submarine transmission line connecting the power grids of Mindanao and Visayas with a transfer capacity of 450 MW expandable to as much as 900 MW. The project also includes converter stations in both regions and more than 500 ckt km of overhead lines to facilitate the flow of electricity. Parts of the MVIP were completed in 2022, such as the Lala-Aurora 138kV transmission line, the 350kV submarine cable, and cable terminal stations in Santander, Cebu, and Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte. NGCP expects to increase the MVIP’s transfer capacity to 50 MW by mid-May, and 112 MW by end-May, before energising to its full transfer capacity of 450 MW by the third quarter of this year. Consumers would benefit from MVIP through a more dependable and sustainable power transmission service that would reduce the frequency of power outages.