Blackout hits Bohol power supply options explored

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Most areas in Bohol province are now in darkness again after the local power generation failed to meet at least the four-hour rationing per feeder service area. Hardware stores are already running out of generator sets and demand for these is still up.

Instead of relying solely on the Leyte power interconnection, Governor Edgar Chatto had discussed options with the power industry players here to generate power that will comply with even considerable fraction of the 60 megawatts total demand of the province.

Originally, the scheme was to generate a total of 15 MWs by tapping 12 mWs from Salcon’s Bohol Diesel Power Plant (BDPP) at Brgy. Dampas in this city, two MWs from Boheco’s hydropower at Brgy. Ewon in Sevilla town and one MW from the hydropower of Sta. Clara International Corp. plant in Loboc town.

The total power supply from these sources was supposed to be divided among the distribution utilities—Bohol Light Company, Inc. (BCLI), Boheco 1 and Boheco 2 at five MWs each to supply their respective service areas, with water pumping stations and hospitals the priorities.

BDPP’s diesel engine’s exhaust however bogged down and might take a week to be repaired. Only five MWs were generated, and BLCI’s share was only good for the water pumping stations that was not even enough to cover the entire service areas. Engineers from Naga City in Cebu have been tapped to help in the repair of  BDPP’s diesel engine.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, on the other hand, planned to install an Emergency Restoration System structures in lieu of the major transmission lines—350kV, 230kV, 138kV—affected by typhoon Yolanda.

“It may take five to six weeks before these major lines will be energized. Even Leyte, Samar and Biliran Islands are still isolated from the grid,” according to NGCP.

Another suggestion reaching Chatto was to proceed with the Cebu-Bohol Multi-Access Friendship Bridge, a super-bridge in scale, that was started by the late Bohol 2nd district congressman and former governor Erico Aumentado.

The concept of the super-bridge was to bring electricity from Cebu to Bohol, and water from Bohol to Cebu. Besides serving as passage for vehicles between the two provinces, it will carry power cable from Cebu and water pipes from Bohol, and even fiber optic cables of  telecommunications firms.

The bridge will anchor in Cordova for the Cebu point and Getafe town for the Bohol point. The length of the bridge will measure 17.25 kilometers but it will reach 22 kilometers including the viaduct. It will pass through the Olango and Hilutongan channels where international vessels pass to and from Cebu.

Another option that the governor was inclined to push is the modular power generating technology such as huge generators that can produce one MW each.

The energy sector here, on the other hand, is now open to investors who can provide generators and investors on power generation through renewable energy and solar power. Among the preliminary ideas that cropped up was to get a power barge, but it is no longer doable at present. (FREEMAN)