Barges on 24-hour shift amid Mindanao power crisis

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The power barges of Aboitiz Power Corp. in Mindanao will run for 24 hours amid the critical power shortage, Therma Marine, the company running the barges reported yesterday.

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines has placed the power shortage in Mindanao at 333 megawatts as the demand was pegged at 1,143 MW against the actual supply of 810 MW.

Key areas in Mindanao have been experiencing blackouts of up to eight hours due to lower power output from the hydroelectric plants in Mindanao, particularly Agus-Pulangi and Lake Lanao.

“The traditional role of peaking (power) plants like Therma Marine is to provide backup and anciliary power to the grid. But with no other capacity left to help the electric cooperatives, we are now running almost like a baseload power plant,” Therma Marine chief operating officer Jovy Batiquin said.

Therma Marine produces 200 MW from its power barges in Nasipit, Agusan del Norte and Maco, Compostela Valley.

The barges supply power to 23 electric cooperatives and distribution utilities, to complement supply coming from the National Power Corp. 

“Unfortunately, Therma Marine is already fully contracted and we could no longer produce and supply more power to electric cooperatives despite many requests for additional capacity,” Batiquin said.

Batiquin said the extended running hours    pose challenges for the facility’s manpower as well as on maintenance and spare parts.

“We have been on our toes since 2010 and we expect to work doubly hard this year and next year until major power plants come in by 2015,” Batiquin said.