Weeklong blackouts in typhoon-hit areas

MANILA, Philippines - Provinces badly affected by typhoon “Juan,” particularly Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao and Cagayan, will have no power supply until next week, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said yesterday.                                                                

NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Perez-Alabanza said the Gamu-Tuguegarao 230 kV line, which transmits power to Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao and Cagayan, was severely damaged.                 

She said around 100 linemen have been deployed to the affected provinces, which include Mountain Province, Abra, and parts of Pangasinan, Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, La Union, Nueva Ecija and Aurora.                                                     

Perez-Alabanza said it would take seven days to bring back into operation the 11 towers toppled by the typhoon.             

Three towers were initially toppled by the typhoon: Tower 390 near Gamu, Isabela and Towers 434 and 477 in Tamuini, Isabela. The others fell late afternoon yesterday.                          

The affected lines are Tuguegarao-Magapit 69 kV, Magapit-Sta. Ana 69 kV, Tuguegarao-Tabuk 69 kV, La Trinidad-Bulalacao 69 kV, Kadampat-Masinloc 230kV, San Manuel-Kadampat 500kV, San Manuel-Manaoag 69kV, Santiago-Gamu 230 kV, Bayombong-Lagawe 69kV, Bongabon-Baler 69 kV and Bauang-Naguilian 69 kV line.                                               

Perez-Alabanza said Metro Manila may continue to experience three-hour rotating blackouts until the Kadampat-Masinloc 230 kV line is restored. The destruction of the line curtailed the delivery of power from the 600-megawatt Masinloc coal fired power plants in Zambales to the metropolis.                                 

“Masinloc 1 and 2 are now at zero (generation). Masinloc was isolated because of the downed transmission line,” Perez-Alabanza said.

She said the coal fired Sual power plant, which is capable of generating 1,000 megawatts, can only produce 225 megawatts because of problems in transmission and difficulty in reclaiming coal from the coal yard.                                              

TeaM Energy Philippines said Sual Unit 1 is online, and not on emergency shutdown as speculated.                                             

“As of 1:55 p.m., Oct. 19, Unit 1 is online and has been so far the past three days. While Sual is being battered by the storm, we are doing the best we can to keep the plant running,” TeaM Energy said in a statement.                                                           

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) has started the rehabilitation of damaged distribution lines in its electric cooperatives.                                                                 NEA said power supply in Ilocos Norte has been restored.     

The Pangasinan III Electric Cooperative has restored power to Urdaneta and Binalonan while the Isabela Electric Cooperative has restored power to Santiago City.

Benguet Electric Cooperative has restored power to La Trinidad and Baguio City. NEA said the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative has restored power in the 12 towns under its franchise area.           

Experiencing power outages, however, are the Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative, La Union Electric Cooperative, Pangasinan Electric Cooperative I, Central Pangasinan Electric Cooperative, Cagayan I Electric Cooperative, Cagayan II Electric Cooperative, Isabela II Electric Cooperative, Nueva Vizcaya Electric Cooperative, Quirino Electric Cooperative, Ifugao Electric Cooperative, Kalinga-Apayao Electric Cooperative and Mountain Province Electric Cooperative.