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MANILA, Philippines - While enjoying a relatively stable power supply this year, Mindanao is expected to suffer a shortfall by next year Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras warned.
“Throughout the year, no power shortage in Mindanao. Next year, it will be challenging, depending on the weather,” he said, noting that the power supply needs of the island still hinge on the weather situation.
”If you’re going to experience really hot summers and problems with the hydro levels then, although Pagasa made an announcement that we’re entering the La Niña phase again, if that happens, we’ll be OK and hopefully the new power plants come online by 2013,” he said.
Based on earlier assessments, Mindanao will lack 450 megawatts (MW) in 2015 if no new capacities are built. For most of the island, this means rotational brownouts of up to 12 hours a day.
Almendras, however, said they cannot afford to become complacent on the power situation in Mindanao.
“We’re not happy with the reserve levels in Mindanao. We’re lucky that the hydros in Mindanao are doing well. No major breakdown, it’s OK but it’s still not stable,” he said.
This early, he said the Department of Energy is ready to put in place measures to fill in the power gap the region. He said one of these would be commissioning additional capacities from the Ilijan power plant.
“We’re trying to get as much as we can. Hopefully, we can get Iligan to come online in a few months time,” he said.
Almendras said they are also working on the deployment of some power barges. He said they are still threshing out issues on Power Barges 101 and 102 whether to privatize these assets first before transferring them to Mindanao.
“It’s still being studied which is the best alternative, privatize them first and then see what the reactions are,” he said.
The Energy chief said they would also like to encourage more investors to pour in capital in Mindanao.
“We’re enticing as much as investors as we can to Mindanao. And there are now more people interested,” he said.
“Throughout the year, no power shortage in Mindanao. Next year, it will be challenging, depending on the weather,” he said, noting that the power supply needs of the island still hinge on the weather situation.
”If you’re going to experience really hot summers and problems with the hydro levels then, although Pagasa made an announcement that we’re entering the La Niña phase again, if that happens, we’ll be OK and hopefully the new power plants come online by 2013,” he said.
Based on earlier assessments, Mindanao will lack 450 megawatts (MW) in 2015 if no new capacities are built. For most of the island, this means rotational brownouts of up to 12 hours a day.
Almendras, however, said they cannot afford to become complacent on the power situation in Mindanao.
“We’re not happy with the reserve levels in Mindanao. We’re lucky that the hydros in Mindanao are doing well. No major breakdown, it’s OK but it’s still not stable,” he said.
This early, he said the Department of Energy is ready to put in place measures to fill in the power gap the region. He said one of these would be commissioning additional capacities from the Ilijan power plant.
“We’re trying to get as much as we can. Hopefully, we can get Iligan to come online in a few months time,” he said.
Almendras said they are also working on the deployment of some power barges. He said they are still threshing out issues on Power Barges 101 and 102 whether to privatize these assets first before transferring them to Mindanao.
“It’s still being studied which is the best alternative, privatize them first and then see what the reactions are,” he said.
The Energy chief said they would also like to encourage more investors to pour in capital in Mindanao.
“We’re enticing as much as investors as we can to Mindanao. And there are now more people interested,” he said.
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