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THURSDAY, 19 APRIL 2012 20:32 PAUL ANTHONY A. ISLA / REPORTER
THE state-run National Power Corp. (Napocor) said on Thursday it will work double-time to complete the rehabilitation of the 26-year-old Pulangi IV Hydroelectric Power Plant in Bukidnon by May 16.
Napocor gave this assurance in view of the government’s ongoing efforts to address the tight power supply situation in Mindanao. Napocor Officer-in-Charge and Vice President for Mindanao Generation Rudy Brioso reported to Napocor president Froilan Tampinco that Pulangi IV was shut down on Tuesday, April 17 to pave the way for the repair of the plant’s headrace channel/surge pool.
The shutdown will, according to Brioso, will also be for the Preventive Maintenance Servicing (PMS) of Pulangi IV’s three turbine generator units.
Brioso said they estimate repair works to take 30 days.
“All the contingency and safety measures related to the shutdown of Pulangi IV are already in place, and we will update Management on the progress of the rehabilitation project, as we aim to fast-track the repair works and the PMS,” Brioso said.
Napocor earmarked P7.11 million for the rehabilitation of the 255-megawatt Pulangi IV. This will be the first time that the 26-year-old power plant will undergo any major repair works since it started operating in 1986.
Among other benefits, the rehabilitation project aims to restore the stability of the headrace channel and the surge pool riprap protection. Stretching for 9.5 kilometers, the headrace channel is the part of the power plant where the water that is used to run Pulangi IV passes through before going to the turbine generator units.
Brioso said the rehabilitation project has been in Napocor’s work program as early as last year, when major defects such as massive scouring were first noticed on the headrace channel
He also noted that Napocor could not afford to postpone the repair works, as these are bound to get more expensive the longer that they are delayed.
From a structural point of view, Brioso added that deferring the rehabilitation of Pulangi IV will aggravate the existing damage on the scoured portion of the headrace channel, which in turn may cause flooding in the low-lying areas downstream of the channel.
Napocor said it is now working closely with the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines to ensure that the 30-day shutdown of Pulangi IV will not aggravate the power situation in Mindanao.
Among other measures, the two parties have agreed to optimize the use of the Agus Hydroelectric Power Plant Complex to make up for the generation loss that will result from the shutdown of Pulangi IV.
At the same time, Napocor said all other scheduled generator outages were cancelled, while all generator tests will be similarly postponed during the 30 days that Pulangi IV is sidelined. Napocor said it will also ensure that generating facilities with “black-start” capability will be on stand-by during the shutdown period, and that all other power plants that are in operation will have sufficient fuel.
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