The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) emphasized the importance of reliable power plants and efficient transmission lines to manage and possibly prevent system loss, which refers to excessive power delivery waste.
‘So many ways to…prevent voltage and system loss; among them is building more power plants in areas that can provide voltage support and lessen system loss as well as answer for increased demand for electricity.
On the part of NCCP, what was mentioned in the discussions is correct, we
continue to build more efficient high-voltage lines,’ said NGCP Spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza during last week’s joint hearing of the Senate committees on energy and public services.
The NGCP runs, builds, and looks after the high-voltage power transmission network. It takes electricity from power plants and sends it safely to local distribution companies across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
She cited the 500-kiloVolt (kV) for Luzon, 230-kV backbone in Visayas-Mindanao, and the installation of capacitor banks and static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) as technologies that can compensate for system loss.
A STATCOM is an advanced power electronics device used by the NGCP to stabilize voltage levels, improve power quality, and manage reactive power across high-voltage transmission networks.
She said the NGCP is committed to continuously upgrading to higher voltage lines as the greatest system losses normally occur within the lower 69-kV voltage lines.
‘The NGCP still manages the 69-kV lines because the electric cooperatives still lack the capacity for various reasons.
Regarding our higher-voltage lines, power delivery is significantly more efficient. For areas with long lines-and as was correctly mentioned earlier, the longer the line, the greater the system losses- we install technologies such as capacitor banks and STATCOMs.
We are increasingly utilizing STATCOMs because we observe that power generators are being located further and further away from certain load centers,’ added the NGCP official.
The grid operator had said that it is on track to complete 10 projects worth P30.88 billion this year.
NGCP is advancing major infrastructure upgrades to secure grid stability and accommodate new renewable and non-renewable generation plants.
The grid operator recently completed massive interconnections including the Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) and Cebu-Negros-Panay Backbone, unifying the Philippine Grid.
In 2025, NGCP completed the upgrading and expansion of 14 substations to enhance grid reliability and stability. The Castillejos Substation was installed with 1,000-MVA transformer capacity, the Calaca and Concepcion Substations were each installed with new 300MVA transformers, the Corella, Toril, Pitogo, Maramag, Dingle, Calbayog, and Paranas Substations with 100MVA transformers, the Davao Substation with a 150-MVA transformer, and the San Jose and Mabinay Substations with a 50-MVA transformer.
A 100-MVA expansion at NGCP’s Iloilo Substation, a component of the Panay-Guimaras Interconnection project, was also completed in April 2025.