THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has approved Alternergy Sembrano Wind Corp.’s construction and ownership of transmission facilities connecting its wind project to the electricity grid.
The facilities will link the 93.75-megawatt Sembrano Wind Power Project in Rizal and Laguna to Meralco’s 115-kilovolt Malaya-Teresa transmission line. The connection will be made through a cut-in to Alternergy’s 115-kV transmission line.
The project comprises an 80/100-megavolt-ampere, 34.5/115-kV take-off substation with protection and telecommunications equipment; a 10.7-kilometer, 115-kV transmission line; the Pililla 115-kV switching station; and two 100-meter, 115-kV transmission lines.
The estimated cost of the facilities was adjusted to P1.09 billion from the initial P715.2 million.
The ERC found that construction of all the transmission facilities had begun before the company secured regulatory approval.
It reiterated that generation companies and grid users planning similar projects must obtain prior authorization before starting construction. The requirement is intended to ensure coordinated system planning and protect the integrity and security of the electricity grid. Ed Paolo Salting
