The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) pledged its commitment to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s 2023 energy initiatives, as expressed in his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA). NGCP vows to concentrate all available resources toward the completion of ongoing transmission projects while expediting others in the pipeline.
Recognizing the importance of increasing the presence of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix, NGCP will draw on its strategic partnership with the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC). Leveraging SGCC’s expertise in renewable energy integration, NGCP hopes to bolster its capabilities to hasten the transition to renewable and sustainable energy sources. The collaboration with SGCC allows NGCP to accommodate the increasing adoption of renewable energy technologies into the national grid.
NGCP also prioritized improving disaster-resilience of the grid infrastructure. They vowed to intensify its ongoing and continuous upgrade of its equipment and manpower, especially those that will prevent disruptions, or provide expedient repair, in case of natural disasters. Currently, NGCP has been developing local talent by investing in world-class training and scholarships for aspiring Filipino engineers.
“We agree with the President’s sentiments. Even before the SONA, NGCP has already been working towards the vision that he mentioned,” said Anthony Almeda, NGCP’s President and CEO. “After hearing it straight from him – his vision that is completely aligned with ours – we know we are on the right track and we’re more motivated to complete all our objectives in a prompt manner,” he emphasized.
Among the top priorities on NGCP’s agenda are the swift completion of the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) and Stage 3 of the Cebu-Negros-Panay Interconnection Project (CNP3). Both of these crucial projects have been partially energized, with the MVIP on track to be fully energized to 450MW by the third quarter of this year. To expedite these projects, NGCP called upon all Local Government Units to extend essential support by promptly granting relevant permits and providing necessary assistance in addressing right-of-way issues that have hindered the smooth implementation of these projects.
“We reiterate our call for what the president termed as a ‘cohesive, centralized, and systematic approach’ to planning, including that for energy for stability, resiliency, and independence. We echo the President’s observation that while national goals are all within reach, ‘this will require not just the work of a single person or a single branch of government nor even the whole government acting alone, but the collective efforts achieved only by all Filipinos working together,’ ” Almeda concluded.
