Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP)
The Mindanao-Visayas Interconnection Project (MVIP) is a flagship transmission infrastructure project that will physically connect the Mindanao grid to the Visayas grid, and through it to the Luzon grid — realizing the government’s vision of “One Grid Philippines”: a unified national transmission network spanning all three major grids [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. II, p.83, 2023].
The MVIP was the first project ever conferred a Certificate of Energy Project of National Significance (CEPNS), issued by the Energy Investment Coordinating Council (EICC) on 08 May 2018, recognizing its vital contributions to ensuring power supply security and reliability across the Philippine grids [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. II, p.83, 2023].
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Design capacity | 450 MW |
| Current transfer capacity (July 2023) | 270 MW |
| Initial load at testing/commissioning | 22.5 MW (30 April 2023) |
| Implementation status (July 2023) | 99.3% complete |
[PEP 2023-2050 Vol. II, p.83–84, 2023]
Strategic Objectives
The MVIP serves several key national energy objectives [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. II, p.83, 2023]:
- Supply security: Reduces power supply interruptions in Mindanao by enabling reserve-sharing between grids
- Resource optimization: Allows surplus power from Mindanao (geothermal, hydro) to flow to Visayas/Luzon
- RE integration: Facilitates transmission of Mindanao’s renewable generation to high-demand centers
- Energy resource sharing: Enables cross-grid balancing services, reducing the need for each grid to maintain independent reserves
- Grid redundancy: Once completed, any surplus MVIP power is transmitted onward to Luzon, improving the reliability of the entire national power system
Implementation History
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| Original target completion | December 2020 |
| CEPNS issued by EICC | 08 May 2018 |
| Testing and commissioning commenced | 30 April 2023 (22.5 MW initial load) |
| Current transfer capacity reached 270 MW | As of July 2023 |
| Implementation status | 99.3% complete (July 2023) |
| Expected full commercial operation (450 MW) | January 2024 |
The completion schedule has been adjusted ten times since the original December 2020 target, due to permitting, right-of-way, and coordination challenges common to large-scale transmission projects in the Philippines. The DOE is closely monitoring progress through coordination with NGCP [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. II, p.84, 2023].
Context: “One Grid Philippines”
The MVIP completes the final link in the three-grid interconnection vision. The Luzon–Visayas submarine cable interconnection was established earlier; the MVIP’s Mindanao–Visayas submarine cable closes the loop. Upon completion, all three of the Philippines’ major island grids will be capable of exchanging power, sharing reserves, and dispatching least-cost generation nationally [PEP 2023-2050 Vol. II, p.83, 2023].
The unified grid is also a prerequisite for efficiently deploying large-scale RE projects in regions of highest resource potential (e.g., wind in Mindanao, geothermal in Leyte) to serve demand centers in Luzon. See Smart and Green Grid Plan (SGGP) for the broader transmission modernization strategy.
Relationship to Other Transmission Projects
The DOE tracks the MVIP alongside two other critical backbone projects under NGCP implementation (see Island Grid Interconnection ):
| Project | Route | Design Capacity | Status (mid-2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSJ 500-kV | Hermosa to San Jose (Luzon backbone) | Bulk transfer (North Luzon) | 2,000 MW loading; target Feb 2024 |
| CNP 230-kV Stage 3 | Cebu–Negros–Panay (Visayas backbone) | 800 MW | 97.2% complete; target Mar 2024 |
| MVIP | Mindanao–Visayas submarine | 450 MW | 99.3% complete; target Jan 2024 |
[PEP 2023-2050 Vol. II, pp.82–84, 2023]