Visayas grid to get boost from 14 power projects

CEBU, Philippines - The Visayas power grid is to get additional power from 14 committed energy projects set to operate later this year through 2019, latest data from the Department of Energy  indicated.

The 14 committed projects, some are scheduled to commercially operate in the last quarter of 2015, are to generate additional power of 528.3 megawatts for Visayas, the data as of August showed. These power projects include two coal, one oil-based plant, four hydro projects, two biomass, one wind, one geothermal and three solar energy.

More than half of the projected power generation will be coming from the two units of coal-fired plant in Concepcion, Iloilo of AC Energy Holdings, the power subsidiary of Ayala Corp. The plant, expected to generate 270 MW, is scheduled for operation in June (for first unit) and November (for second unit) next year.

Also, two hydro projects are targeted to operate in June 2018, one in December 2019 and one this year, generating 21.9 MW. Likewise, the four units of a 18.9-MW diesel power plant and two biomass (total of 20 MW) in Negros Occidental are set to go online later this year.

Other projects with their scheduled commercial operations include: 10-MW geothermal in Biliran, Leyte (September 2016); 14-MW wind power in Aklan (September 2015); 132.5-MW solar in Negros Occidental (March 2016); and other two solar projects in Negros Occidental with cumulative capacity of 41 MW (late 2015).

From January 2015 to August 15 this year, Saul Gonzales, chief of DoE-Visayas' Energy Industry Management Division, said the Visayas grid's installed capacity stood at 325.37 MW while its dependable capacity stood at 277.8 MW.

In an earlier interview, Gonzales had said the Visayas would have amply energy supply in the immediate future, noting the prevailing El Niño would unlikely have a significant impact on the supply.

However, the official claimed power reserve is seen to be thinner through the end of the year in time for the Christmas season.

As of yesterday afternoon, the Visayas grid's system capacity stood at 1865 MW against a demand of 1564, based on the daily outlook of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.