The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has energized its 230-kilovolt (kV) Calamba substation and its associated transmission lines to help address the increasing load growth in South Luzon.
In a report by Business Mirror, NGCP said that the project would mostly benefit industrial customers, especially factories, manufacturing plants, and other businesses inside eco-zones and industrial parks.
The Php1.069 billion substation is located near industrial parks to help accommodate the demand in Laguna, Batangas, and nearby provinces.
In a statement, NGCP said that the Calamaba 230-kV substation is a critical facility for South Luzon, as it will serve as “another highway to prevent overloading and other reliability issues.”
In other developments, the local government of San Simon, Pampanga has ordered the closure of the construction of NGCP’s San Simon 230 kV substation amid allegations that the project is being constructed without the necessary permits required by the LGU.
NGCP said in a statement that its permits and clearances for the project are complete. “NGCP presented to the LGU a copy of the building permit it issued for the project last year, 01 June 2021, before project implementation.”
“Without this substation, the reliability of transmission services in the Pampanga area is threatened, and power interruptions are a real possibility. We are appealing to the local officials of San Simon led by Mayor Punsalan, to lift the closure order and allow NGCP to continue with this grid improvement initiative. We share the common goal of delivering efficient and reliable services to the Filipino people,” NGCP said.
The San Simon substation is certified as an Energy Project of National Significance by the Department of Energy in 2019.
“The project aims to reinforce the reliability and stability of power transmission services in the Luzon grid, by serving as an alternate source for customers connected to the existing Mexico Substation,” NGCP said.