The NGCP is expected to commence construction work on the Visayas-Mindanao Grid Connection Project (VMIP) in the Mindanao provinces of Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte by January 2019. Pre-construction work on the project commenced in June 2018.
VMIP involves the construction of a 92 km long, ±350 kV high voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine cable between the Santander (in Cebu, Visayas) and Dapitan (in Zamboanga del Norte, Mindanao) cable terminal stations (CTS); a 50 km long, ±350 kV HVDC overhead transmission line (OHTL) from Santander CTS to the Sibonga converter station in Cebu; a 135 km long, HVDC OHTL from Dapitan CTS to the New Aurora converter station in Mindanao; new converter stations, including associated electrode stations and electrode lines in Sibonga, Cebu and Aurora, Mindanao; a new substation in Umapad, Cebu, including associated transmission line extensions from the Cebu-Lapu transmission line cable; CTSs in Santander (Cebu) and Dapitan (Zamboanga Del Norte); and expansion of the Magdugo (in Cebu) and New Aurora (in Mindanao) substations.
VMIP will help in establishing a unified electricity market in the Philippines, and will allow Visayas to evacuate electricity from hydro energy resources in Mindanao. Work on the project is expected to be completed by 2020.