19 Feb Mindanao Power Grid Lost Power Reserve: Does This Mean More Brownouts in Cagayan de Oro and of Mindanao?
Image Source: www.gmanetwork.com
Last Wednesday, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines was on red alert when the Mindanao power grid lost its contingency reserve with the island’s power supply deficiency reduced by 30 mw. And this was caused with one of the power generation units of the AboitizPower subsidiary Therma South Inc. being down on Tuesday.
One of NGCP’s spokesperson, Elizabeth Ladaga, said that she was unaware about one of Therma SOuth’s power generation units being down yet she confirmed that the Mindanao grid is under red alert from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Wednesday with the contingency hitting zero. She also said that there were available records at the NGCP which showed a deficiency of 30 mw in the power supply in Mindanao due to the decreased generation capability of Lanao’s Agus hydroelectric power system. She most likely blames the El Niño phenomenon causing this.
Regarding the shutdown of one of Therma South’s 150-mw units, Aboitiz Power Corporation executive Wilfredo Rodolfo III explained that it was meant to undergo a 10-day emergency shutdown which took effect noon of Tuesday with the second 150-mw unit remained operational. He added that the shutdown was implemented to address problems in the power plant preventing it to recur in the future quoting, “The emergency shutdown was made to address the potential problem seen in the boiler before it affects the overall operation of the power plant. If we do not address this problem now, it may occur and cause us bigger problems in the future. So it is prudent and better to address the situation promptly.”
There would be 130-mw lesser power supply in Mindanao with this 10-day shutdown and possibly affect among over 20 electric cooperatives and distribution utilities which are customers of Therma South. That includes the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co. (Cepalco) having a 20-mw contract.
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