Parts of Ilocos Norte to suffer power outage

MANILA, Philippines - Parts of Ilocos Norte will experience power interruption due to a scheduled shutdown from 8 a. m. to 6 p. m. today, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), said yesterday.

 The affected areas include the towns of Pasuquin, Burgos, Bangui, Pagudpud, Adams, Dumalneg and parts of Bacarra, which is under the franchise area of the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative.

“Specific cities and municipalities that may be affected by the power interruption are determined by the abovementioned Distribution Utility (DU), unless the activity will have an effect on the entire franchise area. The DU allocates the available power within its franchise area and implements the power interruption schedule among the end-users,” an advisory from NGCP said.

The power grid operator said the scheduled shutdown is to accommodate the request of Northwind Power Development Corp. for the continuation of the third phase of its ongoing project.

Northwind is 50 percent owned by AC Energy, the power generation subsidiary of Ayala Corp., one of the country’s oldest conglomerates.

Ayala entered Northwind Power in 2011 through Michigan Power Inc., which acquired a 50 percent stake in Northwind.

 Northwind operates the Bangui Bay Wind Project in Ilocos Norte, which currently has 20 turbines with a total generation capacity of 33 megawatts (MW) and which provides 40 percent of the power requirement of the province.

At present, Northwind’s subsidiaries are undertaking the new wind projects, particularly the Northpoint Wind Power Corp. which will develop the $95-million 40-MW wind project in Aparri, Cagayan. 

Similarly, Northeast Wind Systems Corp. will construct the 40-MW wind farm in Pamplona, Cagayan Valley and is estimated to be operational on or before 2015.

This developed as NGCP has lifted the red alert status of the Visayas grid after this was placed on red alert – which means there is a severe power deficiency – last week because of zero reserves.

The Visayas grid now has 156 MW of reserves, a capacity of 1,642 MW and demand of 1,486. 

Luzon is on normal alert.