PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the completion of the P69.7-billion Cebu-Negros-Panay Backbone Project Stage 3 (CNP3) will help spark investments and economic development in the Visayas through efficient energy distribution.
During the ceremonial energization of the CNP3 in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental last Monday, the chief executive said the 230-kilovolt (kV) initiative will address the “power supply challenges that has plagued Negros and Panay sub-grids.”
“The CNP will also address the surging energy demand in the area and propel the economic advancement of Region 6 and 7 to new heights,” Marcos said.
“We have taken a big step today when we opened this transmission network in making this more attractive to other private investors to come in and to help us with problems and to bring their own capacities to improving the transmission lines and even the power generation,” he added.
Economic powerhouse
THE CNP3 will allow Cebu and other parts of Visayas with growing energy demands to use the untapped solar energy in Negros.
“The northern part of Negros Island has close to 500 Megawatts that’s stranded. It is unused. So this power, this transmission line we’ll make that available to wherever else it is needed,” he added.
He urged stakeholders in the Visayas to identify more locations, where investors can build new base load generation plants, as well as renewable energy and energy storage systems, which can be linked to the CNP3.
“I encourage private generators to invest in the Negros and Panay sub-grids so that the region can meet its energy demands and ensure self-sufficiency in the long run,” Marcos said.
Ensuring power demands of Western and Central Visayas, Marcos said, will translate to considerable economic gains for the country since both regions contributed P2.24 trillion to the national economy in 2022.
Power outage
LAST January, Marcos called on the NGCP to complete the CNP3 to help address the power woes in the Visayas after Iloilo suffered from blackouts, which cost the province P3.8 billion in economic losses.
The CNP3, which is composed of 670 transmission towers and spans 442 circuit kilometers of transmission lines, aims to strengthen the link among Cebu, Negros and Panay to facilitate a more reliable transfer of power among the three islands.
“Power outages are a hindrance to progress. Our power system must be the spark to ignite development,” the President said.
Government support
THE President has instructed NGCP to promptly complete its other expansion commitments, with Marcos offering support from the government.
The Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will support NGCP in the said initiatives by removing roadblocks for installing additional transmission lines, according to Marcos.
He said the completion of the processing of requirements for such projects including permit issuance and acquisition of right of way should be less the current two to three years.
“We are fast tracking [the expansion projects] because many of the said programs from NGCP have been pending for so long. So we are doing everything that we can in the government side also, for the completion of the said projects—many of them are years behind schedule already,” Marcos told reporters partly in Filipino in an interview in Negros Occidental.
Various difficulties
WHILE certified as an Energy Project of National Significance (EPNS) in 2019, the project still encountered various difficulties particularly on right-of-way issues due to opposition of landowners, long and tedious judicial processes, protracted permitting processes by local government units, unreasonable demands and threats from a particular barangay official, security issues in certain areas in Negros and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
In September2023, the Cebu-Magdugo 230kV line was also the subject of a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court.
The project was filed for approval with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in four stages as early as 2013. The CNP Stage 3 was filed in 2016 with a project cost of P43.41 billion.
However, the ERC granted a provisional approval for only one year’s worth of capital expenditure amounting to P176.75 million in 2017 and has yet to issue a final approval.
The total cost of the entire CNP backbone project as filed with the ERC, amounts to P67.98 billion. Line 2 of the Negros-Panay Interconnection Project is still pending approval by ERC.
Monumental milestone
THE NGCP cited the CNP3 as a “monumental milestone,” which “represents a significant step towards ensuring a stable transmission grid in the Philippines.”
The firm added it is “honored to lead and witness its completion.”
The NGCP added it “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 CNP Backbone which also include the Negros-Panay Interconnection Project Line 2, is comprised of three stages, the last of which was completed on March 27, 2024. This complements the existing Amlan-Samboan submarine cable which is currently utilized to connect Cebu and Negros islands. The first stage of the CNP project added a new 230kV transmission line from Bacolod to E.B Magalona, while the second stage upgraded the Cebu Substation into 230kV level.
The CNP is comprised of 670 transmission towers spanning 442 circuit kilometers of overhead lines, 98.9 circuit kilometers of submarine cables with 10 new substations and the expansion of 2 existing major substations.
“While the CNP will help improve the delivery of power, this is not the sole or primary solution to the woes of power consumers, particularly in Panay. Sufficient power generation supported by reliable transmission is the formula for optimized energy development. This will support the country’s push towards economic recovery,” said NGCP.
“Despite the various challenges surrounding the completion of the CNP, NGCP’s commitment to delivering this important project did not falter. The dedication of our personnel who worked despite security threats, inclement weather conditions and difficult terrain, and the support of concerned government agencies that assisted us were instrumental in driving this project forward,” the country’s grid operator added.
Image credits: PNA