NGCP pushes ahead with Hermosa-San Jose line after TRO lifting


The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) committed to complete the critical transmission line in Luzon now that the Supreme Court has lifted the temporary restraining order (TRO) on the project.

In a statement on Tuesday, May 28, NGCP announced that work on the Hermosa-San Jose 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line (HSJ) has resumed after a nine-month delay caused by the TRO.

With the lifting, NGCP said it can proceed with the final stages of stringing to bring the project to completion, a critical step in ensuring secure transmission services in Luzon.

The Supreme Court issued a Resolution dated Feb. 28, 2024, which was promulgated on April 8, 2024, officially lifting the TRO that had been in place since July 2023.

“We are happy that the Supreme Court thoroughly studied the case and found no merit in the petitions filed against NGCP,” the transmission firm sad.

“This will enable us to complete the remaining portion of the HSJ which will better serve the bulk generation coming in from Bataan,” NGCP added.

NGCP stopped work on HSJ Towers 170-178 due to the order, pausing construction from July 2023 to April 2024. Despite energizing HSJ in May 2023, the incomplete section limited its capacity.

After the TRO was lifted, NGCP resumed work, completing Line 1 in May 2024 to increase capacity to 4,000 megawatts. Line 2 is expected to finish in mid-July.

The HSJ project is costing P17.3 billion.