Up to 12-hour power outages still hound parts of Mindanao

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Most parts of Mindanao are still experiencing eight to 12 hours of daily power outages even if the dry spell brought about by the El Niño phenomenon during the first half of the year has already ended.

Manuel Orig, Aboitiz Power first vice president for Mindanao affairs, said power curtailment has continued in most parts of Mindanao because the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has undertaken a major rehabilitation project for transmission lines in various parts of the island.

“This power curtailment will continue as long as the power supply in Mindanao remains the same and the demand increases,” Orig said.

Orig stressed the need for more investments in the power industry to finally resolve the energy crisis that Mindanao has been experiencing.

“The demand for power in Mindanao is not proportionate to the actual supply the island has at any given time. There will always be a power shortage if the demand grows higher and the supply remains at the same level as many years ago,” Orig said.

The dry spell in the first half of the year caused an extreme power shortage in Mindanao, triggering 12-hour blackouts.

Mindanao is largely dependent on hydroelectric power from two main sources – the Pulangi River in Bukidnon and Lake Lanao in Marawi.

However, the power curtailment has continued even if the rains have started and the water levels in Pulangi River and Lake Lanao have increased.

According to the NGCP, Mindanao has at present an available capacity of 1,144 megawatts and a peak load of 1,168 MW, or a load generation deficiency of 24 MW.

This, as a long-term roadmap that will maximize the use of other power sources in Mindanao shall be drawn up by different agencies led by the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA).

MinDA chairperson Luwalhati Antonino said one of the key strategies identified in the roadmap is a Mindanao Energy and Power Development and Sustainability Plan that sets clear policies and strategies, and coherent programs and projects for long-term power reliability.

Rene Ronquillo, chief operations officer of Hedcor Power Corp., said that aside from the just-inaugurated 42.5-MW hydroelectric power plant in Sibulan, Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur, the power company is also bent on expanding in other parts of Mindanao.

 “We have two plants in Sibulan now that are 42 MW in total and then we are looking at the redesigned Tamugan plant. In the past, that used to be two plants with a total of 27 MW and the new scheme is down to 11 MW,” Ronquillo said.

“We had to bring it all the way down, far away from what we call the aquifer charging zone of the city, so sana hindi na issue yun (it won’t be an issue anymore),” Ronquillo said, adding that they are also looking at other project sites, probably in Compostela Valley.

As of 2008, the installed capacity in the Mindanao grid was 1,993 MW while the dependable capacity was 1,682 MW.

In the second quarter this year, the average and peaking capabilities of the plants dropped to 771 MW and 860 MW, respectively, hence brownouts reached four to six hours daily.

The average generation capability of hydroelectric plants exhibited the biggest drop, mainly due to the adverse impact of the El Niño phenomenon.

The average capability was at its lowest during the summer months when it dropped by about 90 percent.

“The risk of power shortage is our continuing challenge, that’s why energy programs and projects should be prioritized,” said Antonino.