Published March 8, 2019, 12:05 AM By Myrna Velasco
For the second time in a row this
week, the Luzon grid was placed on yellow alert condition on Thursday due to
the insufficient power supply.
In an advisory sent to industry players
by system operator National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), it
declared a yellow alert situation in the grid at 11 a.m.; and then from 2 p.m.
to 4 p.m. Thursday.
“Luzon grid is on yellow alert due
to insufficient operating reserve,” the transmission company said.
As of Thursday (March 7), NGCP said
the 316-megawatt GNPower plant unit 2 in Mariveles, Bataan experienced forced
outage. The facility is owned by the Ayala and Aboitiz groups.
The other generating facilities that
were on unplanned shutdowns were the 150MW Malaya thermal power plant of Power
Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM); 300MW Calaca
coal-fired facility of the Consunji group; 150MW unit 2 of South
Luzon Power Generation Corp which
is also of the Consunji group; and the 150MW Unit 1 South Luzon Thermal Energy
Corp, which is also owned by the Ayala group.
Another generating facility that was
on forced outage is the 150MW unit 2 of San Miguel power group, according to
the monitoring report of NGCP.
On Thursday’s power reserve-breached
condition, it was emphasized that 1,226 megawatts of power capacity had been
taken out from the system.
Three generating facilities also
suffered capacity de-rating – including the Masinloc unit 1 plant of which
capacity was down to 300MW from the usual 315MW; Masinloc unit-2 which has its
capacity reduced to 280MW from 344MW; and the Pagbilao plant’s capacity-getting
slashed to 315MW from 420MW.
Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi
noted that “the yellow alert condition” in the grid should not be a cause of
concern because this does not mean that rotating brownouts will happen,
although he said the department will investigate the causes of these simultaneous
unplanned outages in power plants.
Cusi is very cautious about allegations
of “collusion” being thrown against the power companies, with him emphasizing
that it will be better for the department to look into the bottom of these
concerns in the power system first
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