The Department of Energy warned that the Visayas power grid would face supply shortages for the next 1 to 2 years and coordinated with power providers for immediate solutions. Energy Secretary Sharon Garin stated on Monday, June 1, that temporary power supplies would be secured by the government to cope up with the rising electricity demand of the region.
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If new power facilities and transmission lines fail to catch up with consumption, severe interruptions would be experienced by local communities, commercial establishments and industrial zones. The department noted that synchronizing the completion of generation projects is difficult, given that heavy equipments and power plants take three to five years to finish. Thus, necessary steps are being taken by the agency to address the near-term supply gap even as projects are already in the pipeline.
According to Energy Undersecretary Mario Marasigan, the Visayas is the primary concern among the three national grids. During peak hours, the demand can reach more than 2700mw while supply can drop to as low as 2044mw. Between May 12 to June 1, the Visayas grid was placed under seventeen yellow alerts and four red alerts.
The recent grid strain was driven by unavailable plants, e.g., Therma Visayas Units 1 and 2, Panay Energy Development Corp. Unit 3 and Kepco-Salcon Power Corp. Unit 2. It was announced by the agency that Kepco Unit 2 would return on Tuesday, June 2, while PEDC Unit 3 would resume operations by July 3. Conversely, Therma Visayas Units 1 and 2 are expected to return only in late August.
The energy secretary explained that although the Visayas has a high share of renewable energy at around 45% compared to the national average of 25%, more steady sources of energies are required. If weather conditions do not cooperate, e.g., when there is no sun or wind, these alternative sources would not generate adequate electricity. Consequently, what the region needs more of is mid-merit and baseload capacity.
To mitigate the crisis, power barges, diesel power barges, modular gensets and battery energy storage systems are being considered by the department to stabilize the grid. Marasigan stated that the agency needs at least 150mw to improve the power reserves in the Visayas. Furthermore, formal communications were submitted to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines to explore possible direct negotiations for ancillary services, unless other immediate interventions can result to better regional power stability.
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