Rotational brownout in VECO service area

CEBU, Philippines - The Visayan Electric Company resorted to up to two hours of rotational brownout yesterday due to lack of power supply in the Visayas grid.

It came after the National Grid Corporation of the Phils. (NGCP) informed VECO that the Visayas grid was experiencing supply shortfall starting at 9 a.m.

VECO had to reduce demand from the grid by approximately 146 megawatts.

VECO spokesperson Theresa Sederiosa said that they are currently coordinating with their Interruptible Load Program participants to lower demand.

Under the program, participants use their own generators and other sources of power for their operations, lowering demand from the grid.

“As of now, we do not know yet when the power supply will be stable,” she said yesterday.

Department of Energy-7 Director Antonio Labios said that as of 1 p.m. yesterday the Visayas grid experienced a 276-megawatt deficiency.

This was after three power plants — Units I, II and III  of Cebu Energy Development Corporation in Toledo City — failed to synchronized with the grid due to a substation problem.

Each power plant has a capacity of 82mw.

“Dili gyud ang planta nila ang naay problema but ang substation nila nga maoy mo-transmit og power sa grid,” Labios said.

He said that as of 4:30 p.m. the CEDC power plants still failed to connect with the grid.

“Hopefully, by tomorrow, we will have a stable supply,” he said.

Labios said that aside from CEDC, other power plants, like the Palimpinon Geothermal Power Plant in Leyte, the Energy Development Corporation in Leyte and the Leyte Geothermal Plant, were operating in a “derated capacity” or not on their full capacity.

“Wa pa mi kahibalo on why they are operating in a derated capacity,” he said.

In an official statement, CEDC said that “5:29 AM today, Units 2 and 3…were down due to electrical fault in (the) Talavera Line 3 Substation. This has affected selected areas within Visayan Electric Company’s franchise area,” it said.

“We have already resolved the situation and are currently waiting for the advice from NGCP as to when we can deliver power to the grid,” it added in a statement sent early last night.

On the other hand, KEPCO-SPC said their two 100-megawatts per unit power plants were cut off from the Visayas grid at 1:45 a.m. the other day due to line isolation from NGCP.

Unit 1 was able to synchronize and supply 50 mw of power to the grid at 10:28 p.m. that day, while Unit 2 remains unoperational.

Unit 2 is still down due to some technical problems following the abrupt tripping Thursday morning as a result of the grid problem.

“KSPC engineers are now working round the clock to synchronize Unit 2 to the grid and normalize the dependable capacity of Unit 1 the soonest time possible,” read the statement.

To recall, Cebu also experienced brownouts while the islands of Bohol, Leyte and Samar suffered a blackout for almost eight hours (1:45 a.m. to 9:09 a.m.) the other day due to isolation of one of NGCP’s transmission line Naga City.

Because of yesterday’s incident, VECO called on the consumers to conserve electricity whenever possible.

Sederiosa said VECO was informed of the shortfall only yesterday morning.

“What we know is that VECO’s share in the shortfall is 146 MW. The peak demand of VECO franchise is approximately 460-470 mw among our 370,000 customers,” she added.

Due to the power supply deficiency, the following area experiencef a one to two-hour power outages.

Talamban, portion of Canduman, Tawason, San Jose, Bacayan, Pit-os, Pulangbato, Binaliw, Agsungot, Guba and Mountainous Areas, Carreta, Hipodromo, Mabolo,  Lorega, Day-As, T. Padilla, San Antonio, Kamagayan, Parian, Zapatera, Cogon Ramos, Camputhaw, Capitol Site.

Guadalupe, Kalunasan, Sapangdaku, Kinasangan, Basak-Pardo, Basak-Mambaling, Mambaling, Punta Princesa, Toong, Duljo Fatima, Guadalupe, Banawa, Labangon, Lorega San Miguel, Zapatera, Cogon Ramos, Camputhaw, Hipodromo, Mambaling, Basak San Nicolas, Basak Pardo, Cogon Pardo, Inayawan, Bulacao Pardo, Kasambagan, North Reclamation Area, Tejero, Tinago, Ermita, Santo Niño, Kalubihan, Pahina Central, Kamagayan, San Antonio and  Sambag I in Cebu City.

In Mandaue City – Reclamation Area, Guizo, Mantuyong, portion of Centro, Cabancalan, Casuntingan, Cubacub, CasiliPaknaan, Labogon, Basak and Jagobiao.

In Liloan town - Tayud, Catarman, Yati, Poblacion, Jubay, Cotcot, Cabadiangan, Lataban, Sta. Cruz, San Roque, Tabla, Mulao, Calero, Yati and Tayud.

In Consolacion town - Poblacion, Tugbungan, Nangka, Pitogo, Cansaga,Tayud, Jugan, Pitogo, Lamac, Cansaga, Poblacion, Pulpogan, Danlag, Tilhaong, Sac-Sac, Tulo-Tulo, Polog, Panoypoy and Tugbungan.

In Talisay City - Bulacao, Tabunok, San Roque, San Isidro, Tangke, Mohon, San Isidro, Lagtang, Jaclupan and  Candulawan

In Naga City- Tangke, Pangdan, Lutac, Balirong, Lanas, Uling, Mayana, Tagjaguimit, Tinaan, Naalad, Mainit, Jaguimit, Patag, Alpaco, Inuboran, Langtad, Cabungahan and Bairan.

In Minglanilla town- Poblacion, Kalubihan and Velpal Subdivision.

VECO is the second largest electric utility in the Philippines and serves the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay and Naga and the Metro Cebu towns of Liloan, Consolacion, Minglanillla and San Fernando. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/RHM (FREEMAN)