Various projects worth P2.4 billion will be bidded out by National Transmission Corporation (Transco) this year as part of the over-all plan to ensure sufficient and reliable power supply in Mindanao.
Transco president Alan T.Ortiz noted that these transmission projects are all geared toward averting a looming power shortage that may hit the area by 2006 or even earlier.
Two of the identified transmission projects — namely the General Santos-Tacurong-Nuling 138-kilovolt (kV) and Zamboanga City area 138-kV Power Transmission Program; will enhance Transco’s capability to deliver power from the generation-rich Northern Mindanao to areas in the southern portion which are suffering scarcity in power supply.
"These major undertakings underscore Transco’s commitment to provide reliable power especially to the boom centers of the region. As Mindanao sees renewed economic activity, Transco wants to ensure that electricity will be there when it is needed," Ortiz said.
The General SantosTacurong-Nuling project will reinforce the transmission lines running through the provinces of Maguindanao, Sultan-Kudarat and South Cotabato.
The project will be bankrolled by a
R1.4 billion loan from the Miyazawa fund of the Japan government.
Upon its completion, it was noted that this will enable the line to handle bulk power and accommodate the increasing electricity demand in the areas’ fishing, packing, canning and seafood processing industries.
Meanwhile, the expanded line capability is also expected to provide support to crucial infrastructures such as the General Santos airport and fishport while also providing an alternate power supply line to the SOCSARGEN (South Cotabato-Sarangani-General Santos) area from the Mt. Apo geothermal power plant.
The
R876-million Zamboanga City Area project, on the other hand, will provide transmission line reinforcement between Sangali and Pitogo to improve TransCo’s power delivery to Zamboanga City and its environs.
The transmission company is also planning to tap the Miyazawa fund for this project. The bidding is expected to take place by the first half of the year.
Aside from these, Transco unveiled smaller transmission projects during the five-city roadshow participated in by the different energy agencies last week.
These include the
R40 million Klinan capacitor bank reinforcement project in General Santos City, the R80 million New Loon capacitor bank project, R238 million Maco Substation and the R327 Bunawan Switching statio in Davao City; the R78 million Aplaya Transformer project in Cagayan de Oro and the R64 million Lugait substation project in Iligan.
"The main challenge for Mindanao is security of supply and what the government is doing to ensure that there will be enough power to fuel the economic growth of the region, " Ortiz said.
He further emphasized that the series of dialogues held in the five cities had the aim of getting a commitment not only from the power sector but the local government units and business sector as well to work hand in hand to prevent a projected shortfall in supply in two years. (MMV)
