Davao power supply worsens

by Jonathan A. Santes January 25, 2016
http://www.mb.com.ph/davao-power-supply-worsens/

Davao City – As if the troubles brought about by the El Niño phenomenon were not enough, the power situation in this city has taken a turn for the worse after the Therma South Incorporated (TSI) yesterday issued an advisory that it would have to shut down its 150-megawatt, coal-fired power plant unit 2 for seven days for corrective maintenance.

As such, TSI’s distribution arm, the Davao Light and Power Company (DLPC), would have to lengthen current brownouts imposed on its service areas from one hour to three hours.

Ross Luga, DLPC’s Assistant Vice President, made this disclosure yesterday at the Kapehan sa Davao at SM Ecoland here, saying that the current power supply allocation from the National Power Corporation – Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (NPA-PSALM),that is transmitted through the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), was further reduced due to low water inflow caused by El Niño and the bombings of transmission towers in Mindanao.

And to make matters worse, TSI had to start its corrective maintenance on its plant last Saturday. Davao Light has a 100MW contract with the TSI with 50MW coming from the plant.

With this, Luga said, the Davao Light’s total supply will only be 233 MW, which is insufficient to supply the forecasted demand in its franchise of 320 MW and 290 MW, on Saturday and Sunday respectively.

Luga said the power situation will be even worse as the demand may reach as much as 340 MW,

“This will result to three hours rotating power interruptions during peak hours, which is between 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. On off peak hours, between 9 p.m. to 8 a.m., the brownout could last up to one hour,” Luga added.