• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The government is streamlining the system to fast track the completion of energy infrastructure projects in the country to catch up with the rising demand and boost development, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., disclosed Monday.
We’re doing everything that we can in the government side also para matapos na ‘yung proyektong iyon (to complete this project),” Marcos Jr. said in an interview during the ceremonial energization of the Cebu-Negros-Panay 230-kilovolt backbone project in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City.
The President had taken notice that some of the projects are already “many years” behind their scheduled completion.
“So, we have to play our part also that, we, yun na nga ‘yung sinabi ko ‘yung mga permitting, ‘yung mga ECC (Environmental Compliance Certificate), ‘yung mga permits ng ERC (Energy Regulatory Commission) etc., pati ‘yung pricing (as I said, the permitting, ECCs, permits of the ERC, and including pricing), all of these things we try to do it much, much more quickly. Before it took, it’s been taking two to three years. It should take much less than that. So, we’re streamlining the system,” he said.
The Cebu Negros Panay Backbone, which includes the Negros Panay Interconnection Project Line 2, is composed of three stages, of which the last one was completed on March 27 this year. It complements the existing Amlan Samboan submarine cable, which is currently being utilized to connect the islands of Cebu and Negros, according to NGCP.
It added that the first stage of the CNP Project added a new 230kV transmission line from Bacolod to E.B. Magalona, and the second stage upgraded the Cebu Substations into 230kV level.
“This monumental milestone represents a significant step towards ensuring a stable transmission grid in the Philippines, and we are honored to lead and witness its completion. NGCP has consistently worked towards meeting its commitment to provide a reliable electricity infrastructure for the nation, and the CNP is a testament to our dedication to enhancing the power transmission capabilities of our country,” the company said in a statement.
Marcos said the goal is to align the transmission service, particularly in areas with significant power production and cooperatives.
For instance, Marcos said Negros has abundant supply of solar energy that could be channeled to other areas through a consolidated transmission system.
He said that if you look at the map, the line goes from Panay Island, across Negros, and then through a submarine cable to Cebu. The transmission line for the whole area is now aligned.
The P67.9-billion CNP (Cebu-Negros-Panay) grid improvement will address the surging energy demands in the area and propel the socio-economic advancement of Western and Central Visayas, considering its population of about 16 million.
The two regions contributed P2.24 trillion to the economy in 2022.
The CNP project, composed of CNP1, CNP2, CNP3 and Negros-Panay Interconnection Project Line 2 (NPIP L2), is intended to strengthen the grid and improve the reliability of power transmission in the islands of Cebu, Negros and Panay.*
