NATIONAL Grid Corp. of the Philippines urged offshore wind power developers and other renewable energy players to put up projects where there is available transmission capacity (ATC).
NGCP has ATC of 10,260 MW, of which 6,573 MW is located in Luzon, 2,281 MW in Visayas, and 1,406 MW in Mindanao.
Under the proposed Transmission Development Plan 2025 to 2050, the ATC represents the amount of power that can be transmitted through the transmission network without risking grid stability.
This capacity is essential for prospective generator investors when planning and developing power generation projects. ATC is determined by the difference between the total transfer capability and the existing transmission network facilities, assuming no significant upgrades are needed.
NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Perez-Alabanza said: “We have to remind ourselves that the gestation period average global, even including more developed countries, should be 7-10 years. These offshore wind projects were conceptualized I think 2022, 2023.”
She added: “So to answer your question, are the facilities existing? It depends where they are going to be located because if you really look at the transmission system, there is actually excess capacity to accommodate a new generator, but it depends on where it will be located.”
The ATC aims to support generation investors in making informed decisions regarding project location, size, and technology. It can aid in the successful development of non-site-specific power generation projects and their integration into the grid.
The latest TDP prepared by NGCP states that the increasing integration of variable renewable energy (VRE) in the transmission network poses various challenges that need to be addressed. These challenges include intermittent operation, grid inertia reduc-tion, and voltage fluctuation.
It said: “The increasing penetration of VRE has the potential to cause significant degradation of the power system perfor-mance due to their intermittent nature, which necessitates an increase in the required flexible generation.”
“Concurrently, equal emphasis will be placed on the expansion and modernization of power infrastructure, particularly on transmission network upgrades, to accommodate the integration of renewables and ensure a stable and resilient energy supply.”
It said this necessitates the recognition of energy storage systems as one of the technologies to manage the intermittent opera-tion of VRE-generating plants’ output to ensure stability.
“Moreover, ESS will be one of the key elements in the proposed Smart Grid Roadmap towards power system modernization,” it said.
The Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ) said in a statement NGCP’s transmission capacities are not in the right places and do not support the Philippines’ 35 percent RE target by 2030 since the TDP is not prioritizing grids with huge RE in the pipeline.
It said NGCP is prioritizing non-renewable energy projects. The NGCP’s TDP Report as of May 2025 cited that committed pro-jects are excluded from 14 connection points from the available transmission capacity in 2025.
PMCJ said this would mean limiting the chances of 2025 committed projects from being connected to the grid.
The list includes the 69-kilovolt Labo substation in Camarines Norte, which could accommodate 70 megawatts (MW) of addi-tional capacity.
The group said renewable energy projects in the pipeline for the region are estimated to reach 10 gigawatts (GW), and these might end up being stranded or delayed if the current infrastructure is not upgraded.
