NGCP proposes P23.9-billion Batangas-Mindoro subsea cable

THE NATIONAL Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), the country’s sole grid operator, is proposing to develop a P23.9-billion submarine cable to allow Batangas to export much-needed electricity to Oriental Mindoro.

In a filing with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, NGCP said it is seeking to install a 500-kilovolt (kV) subsea cable crossing the Verde Island Passage between Lobo, Batangas, and Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro.

The 28.5-kilometer submarine cable will consist of six operational cables and one spare cable. The cables will be buried at a depth of two meters in shallow waters.

NGCP is targeting completion of the proposed project by January 2028. The Department of Energy has certified the project as an energy project of national significance.

The submarine cable system will serve as the central link for Stage 1 of the P90.6-billion Batangas-Mindoro 500-kV Interconnection and Backbone Project (BMIBP).

The Energy Regulatory Commission approved the proposed project last year as an “upgraded” version of the Batangas-Mindoro Interconnection Project.

NGCP has been directed to complete the entire project by the end of 2030.

Currently, Mindoro Island is not connected to the national grid and depends on diesel-based generation, making it vulnerable to unstable supply and higher generation costs.

“The Mindoro Island is expected to benefit from the proposed project through improved access to power from the main Luzon Grid, reduced reliance on diesel power plants, and the development of renewable energy plants within and offshore Mindoro Island,” the company said.

The subsea cable project is scheduled for public scoping on March 25. The activity is an early stage of the environmental impact assessment process, during which the project proponent will present an overview of the development and gather feedback from stakeholders.

Under a congressionally granted 50-year franchise, NGCP has the right to operate and maintain the transmission system and related facilities, and to exercise the right of eminent domain as needed to construct, expand, maintain, and operate the transmission system. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera