Visayas power constraints may ease

POWER CONSTRAINTS in the Visayas grid are expected to ease as two major power plants currently on forced outage are set to resume operations, according to the Department of Energy (DoE).

In a statement on Wednesday, the DoE said three key power plants remain under restoration, including two units of Therma Visayas, Inc. with a capacity of 169 megawatts (MW) each, and the 150-MW coal-fired power facility of Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC).

PEDC Unit 3 is scheduled to resume operations by July 3.

Meanwhile, KEPCO SPC Power Corp. Unit 1, which went offline due to operational problems, is undergoing assessment, with restoration targeted for June 19.

“The restoration activities currently underway are already yielding positive results, including a reduction in the number of yellow alert hours and a decrease in the magnitude of supply deficits experienced in the grid,” the Energy Undersecretary Mario C. Marasigan said.

The Visayas grid has been under a series of yellow alerts since May 12, after several power plants were placed on forced shutdown. 

Since the start of the year, the Visayas grid has been under 35 yellow alerts and five red alerts.

A red alert is the highest alert level and is issued when power supply is insufficient to meet consumer demand, while yellow alert is declared when power buffer is not enough to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.

“We remain focused on restoring reliability in the Visayas grid as quickly as possible. The anticipated return of PEDC Unit 3 by July 3, combined with the additional capacity interventions being pursued by the government, will substantially strengthen the region’s power supply and help bring an end to the recurring yellow and red alerts that have affected consumers since May,” Energy Secretary Sharon S. Garin said.

To address power supply constraints, the DoE said approximately 260 MW of additional capacity is being carried out, enough to supply around 1.25 million households.

The capacity is part of the short- and medium-term measures identified by the DoE, which include the deployment of around 170 MW of battery energy storage systems located across Cebu, Negros, and Panay to provide both energy and ancillary services.

The initiative also includes the installation of a 20-MW modular diesel generating set and the possible transfer of a power barge from Metro Manila to Panay Island.

For long-term solutions to strengthen energy security, two more power plants are under development, which are the proposed Therma Visayas Unit 3 and the proposed development of Unit 2 of Palm Concepcion Power Corp. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera