Another power shortage looms

CEBU, Philippines – The Cebu-Negros-Panay grid continues to be on "red alert" as two power plants are down due to preventive maintenance and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines reported a generation deficiency of 201megawatts during peak demand of last night.

NGCP, the operator of the country's power transmission highway said that the available capacity was only 1,107MW while the demand for power was 1,308MW.

But this power deficiency in the CNP grid has not affected Cebu considering that there was no power interruption the whole day yesterday.

NGCP corporate communications officer Edna Legaspina said that the CNP grid incurred a 139MW deficiency in the morning, 129MW in the afternoon and 201MW last night.

Legaspina said that the two power plants in Leyte - the EDC-Mahanagdong B and Palinpinon Geothermal Power Plant Unit 2, were out from the CNP grid. Both plants have a combined generation capacity of 100MW.

The EDC-Mahanagdong B is undergoing preventive maintenance and was supposed to be back online last October 11.

The PGPP 2 is expected to be back on the grid on November 9.

Legaspina said that she does not know yet as to when the EDC-Mahanagdong B will be back on the grid.

NGCP manager for corporate affairs Nelson Cabangon said that there has been a generation deficiency owing to the fact that few power plants have been constructed and yet power demand continues to increase.

Department of Energy regional director Antonio Labios said that the CNP grid has been deficit of its supply against the demand for the past several years as he encouraged the public to practice energy conservation in order to reduce Cebu's demand for power.

Ethel Natera, spokesperson of the Visayan Electric Company, said that NGCP had informed them of supply shortfall yesterday, but VECO did not have to cut power supply in its franchise area.

The Cebu Energy Development Corporation's two units with a combined capacity of 164MW were operating on a full-load capacity.

CEDC and VECO have a supply contract of 105MW. VECO has a total power demand of 270MW during peak period in their franchise area, which covers Metro Cebu from the towns of Liloan in the north up to San Fernando in the south.

Aside from CEDC, VECO has a power supply contract with the National Power Corporation of 231MW, 60MW from Cebu Private Power Corporation and another 10MW from East Asia Power Utilities.

It can be recalled that Cebu experienced two-hour rotating brownouts for three days last week when the Naga-Sigpit transmission line of NGCP tripped off causing the two units of CEDC to shutdown.

Cabangon said that they are still investigating as to the cause on why their transmission line tripped off.

The power interruption in Cebu was stabilized last Saturday, when the two units of CEDC were synchronized to the grid as well as the 50 megawatts each or a total of 100 megawatts of Cebu Thermal Power Plant 1 and 2.

Meanwhile, Jennifer de Jesus, NGCP head of public relations said that the firm will do maintenance on their High Voltage Direct Current that links Luzon to Visayas on October 21 to 24.

De Jesus said that there will be a two-day break then HVDC will undergo maintenance again on October 27 to 31.

This development has elated lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, provincial supervisor of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

"Thanks God. We highly appreciate the action. It would be a great help," he said as there would be enough power on the 25th, which is the day of the barangay elections.

The HVDC is the Luzon link to the Cebu-Negros-Panay grid that provides 150 megawatts of power daily for Visayas.

NGCP has a crucial mandate of bringing light to every Filipino home, energizing industries, and turning the country's wheels of progress. It operates 19,425 circuit-kilometers of high-voltage transmission and sub-transmission lines and 23,853 mega volt amperes of substation capacity in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. - /NLQ (FREEMAN)