Mindanao short of 100 MW of power

Business Mirror
WEDNESDAY, 04 JANUARY 2012 19:46 BUTCH D. ENERIO / REPORTER


CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The Mindanao power grid will be short by about 100 Megawatts (MW) in the next few days owing to increasing consumer demand and low production coming from the Agus-Pulangi hydro power complex.


System operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) on Wednesday issued a “red alert” notice for the grid, advising distribution utilities to expect as much as 100 MW power curtailment Mindanao-wide, especially during peak hours.


Mindanao consumes around 1,400 MW of power during peak hours.


The diesel power plants of Therma Marine Inc. in Nasipit, Agusan del Sur and Maco, Compostela Valley are expected to fill in the shortage especially for distribution utilities that signed with the facility for backup power.


Aboitiz Power (AP) said in a statement that other distribution companies like Davao Light and Power Co. will not be much affected since its embedded power plants like its diesel complex in Bajada, Davao City and the Sibulan run-of-river hydropower plant of Hedcor Inc. in Sta Cruz, Davao del Sur, provide much-needed energy for its customers.


Production from the Agus-Pulangi complex in Lanao and Bukidnon continued to be affected by low rainfall and lack of maintenance of the facility resulting to “generation deficiency.”


According to the NGCP, while the installed capacity of the seven power plants in the complex is 982 MW, the peak capacity is only 725 MW.


AP is proposing to build a 300-MW coal-fired power plant in southern Davao City to address the current shortage and the future needs for power in Mindanao.


Manuel Orig, first vice president for Mindanao Affairs of AP, said the facility is aimed at providing reliable and affordable power to the grid without being climate- and weather-dependent.