No assurance of stable electricity – Petilla

MANILA, Philippines - Despite a blackout-free weekend after last Friday’s unannounced power interruption in many parts of Luzon, there is no guarantee of stable power supply in the coming days as demand for electricity is expected to surge again beginning tomorrow and eat into dwindling reserves.

Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla made this clear even as he announced that the power situation in Metro Manila is expected to remain stable today with the restoration of unit 2 of the Sual coal-fired power plant in Pangasinan following its emergency shutdown last Tuesday.

A second plant – the 700-megawatt Pagbilao coal-fired power plant in Quezon – conked out on Friday, triggering blackouts in many parts of Luzon, including Metro Manila.

“On Monday, (the power situation) will be on yellow alert again because of higher demand,” Petilla told The STAR.

Yellow alert status means contingency reserves are below the minimum level but does not necessarily entail power outages or blackouts. Red alert means severe power deficiency, while white alert means normal power situation.

In Malacañang, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said no power interruption would be expected unless another power plant breakdown occurs.

“So hopefully, based on those projections, it looks like there will be no power interruptions as long as the other power plants will not break down,” Valte said over radio dzRB.

She also said it would take a week to repair the Pagbilao power plant. Petilla said the plant is scheduled to resume operations on Thursday.

Compounding last Friday’s power outage was Maynilad Water Services Inc.’s announcement of supply interruption in its service area beginning on the same day following a significant decrease in the flow of raw water from Angat Dam.

Valte said the National Power Corp. “is watching the levels at the dams” and is “engaged actually in cloud seeding in cooperation” with the Department of Agriculture “so we can get rain in the right places.”

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), the country’s grid operator, restored the white alert over the Luzon grid yesterday after a red alert last Friday. “The system is normal,” the NGCP said in an advisory.

Meanwhile, the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) said Metro Manila is given assurance of stable water supply if the rainy season begins in June as projected by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

“For now, the water supply in the Angat Dam is still at a manageable level. According to PAGASA, the onset of the rainy season will come at a normal schedule, which is by the first or second week of June. The problem is the occurrence of El Niño,” said Jorge Estioko, officer-in-charge of the office of the NWRB deputy executive director.

He said that with water level at the Angat Dam at 178.18 meters above sea level as of yesterday morning, water supply in Metro Manila is still secure. The critical water level is 180 meters.

The NWRB is set to convene on May 21 to decide if the water supply allocation for Metro Manila would be reduced next month as the water level in the Angat Dam continues to fall. Water supply in Metro Manila is currently at 42 cubic meters per second.

Estioko said a technical working group composed of experts from the Napocor, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, National Irrigation Administration and PAGASA are threshing out recommendations to be presented to the NWRB board.

The Manila Water Co. is the other water concessionaire for Metro Manila in charge of the East Zone. Maynilad covers the West Zone.

The Napocor cut the irrigation supply from Angat Dam after the water level fell below 180 meters.

Based on protocol, supply to irrigation is the first to stop if the Angat Dam water level falls below the critical point. The next to get cut – in the event of further drop in water level – is the water allocation for power plants.  – With Aurea Calica, Czeriza Valencia, Bebot Sison, Ric Sapnu