05 Nov MisOr STEAG Power Plant Resumed Normal Operations
image source: STEAG SPI Website
STEAG completed its three-day preventive maintenance work that obligated a shutdown of one of its two 105-mw generation units which was the Power Generator Unit 2 last October 31, said Jerome Soldevilla, STEAG spokesman. And on Monday, at 1:36 pm, normal operations were resumed in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental. And as of this day, STEAG power plant is operating at full 210-mw capacity.
Due to this, power crisis provoked by the bombings in Marawi causing some 150-mw isolated from the Mindanao grid was suppressed. Yet, power crisis in Mindanao is not over for the effects of El Niño phenomenon has worsened the situation on the hydroelectric power generation in the island, as said by the officials.
Concurrently, erection of the two towers that were bombed by an unidentified group in Patani, Marawi City were being worked by the NGCP. According to Elizabeth Ladaga, NGCP spokesperson, construction work was being performed out in the Marawi village since Saturday to be able to bring back some 150-mw to the Mindanao grid. The police and the military were in coordination with the NGCP security group guarding the firm’s workers.
Unfortunately, no one has claimed responsible for the bombings and suspects has yet to be identified by the authorities.
However, as I’ve mentioned earlier, power crisis in Mindanao is not yet over. Mindanao Development Authority director and public affairs head Romeo Montenegro said operations of the APHC or Agus and Pulangi Hydropower Complexes which supply close to half of the Mindanao’s power has been affected due to El Niño.
Water levels of Lanao Lake reached 699.86 meters above sea level as of October 31 which is so near to the minimum operating level of 699.15 meters, said the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management-National Power Corporation.
Updated power productions from Pulangi IV plant and Agus hydropower plants as of October 26 were 144-mw and 214-mw respectively. And as of October 30, NGCP reported that Mindanao power deficiency reached 166-mw.
Montenegro said the MPMC or Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee tackled the problem about El Niño to raise and create measures to suppress its impact to the power sector in a meeting last month.
Despite the current situation, Montenegro confidently assured that by 2016, Mindanao will have a better power situation with the entry of base-load power plants reducing Mindanao power dependency to Agus and Pulangi hydro.
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