THE National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said it expects that the temporary restraining order (TRO) against a portion of the Hermosa-San Jose 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line would be lifted to facilitate its full completion.
“We’re really hoping that the TRO is lifted soon so there would be no problem for us,” NGCP Spokesperson Cynthia P. Alabanza told reporters in a recent interview in mixed English and Filipino.
The Supreme Court has issued a TRO against the expropriation and construction on a portion of the transmission line owned by PHirst Park Homes, Inc.
The Hermosa-San Jose project currently has a transfer capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW), part of the full capacity of 8,000 MW of Lines 1 and 2.
The rest of the capacity cannot be accomplished due to the work stoppage following the TRO, according to the NGCP.
“Although energized at its intended capacity, it’s only Line 1. We hope that the TRO would be lifted immediately so that we can complete the second circuit,” Ms. Alabanza said.
The P10.2-billion Hermosa-San Jose transmission line was initially energized in May last year.
It spans the provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga, and Bataan, serving as a major component in the planned Luzon 500-kV transmission backbone.
Meanwhile, NGCP is aiming to complete the looping in the Cebu-Bohol 230-kV interconnection project “in the next few months” or “possibly within the next year or so.”
“Once the Cebu-Bohol interconnection is complete, there would be an alternative route for power, (and) it would not be reliant on Leyte. So (the interconnection) could now source power from Cebu,” Ms. Alabanza said.
The Cebu-Bohol interconnection project will connect the two islands via double-circuit 230-kV submarine cables.
The link will head off overloading of the Leyte-Bohol 138-kV submarine cable and provide Bohol Island with another source of power. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera