By
Lenie Lectura - May 10, 2018
THE National
Power Corp. (Napocor) urged First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative Inc.
(Ficelco) to undergo another competitive selection process (CSP) following the
rotating brownout incidents in the province.
Napocor said it has
made this recommendation to the electric cooperative even before the expiration
of the lease agreement between Napocor and Ficelco for the 3.6-megawatt (MW)
Marinawa Daihatsu Power Plant in Bato, Catanduanes.
Ficelco enforced
rotating brownouts in the province due to the shutdown of the Solong hydropower
plant owned and operated by Sunwest Water and Electric Co. (Suweco). The
said facility encountered damages to its penstock pipe line that led to the
shutdown.
“If we look at the
power supply-demand outlook, Napocor power plants are able to provide the
contract demand of 4.350 MW of power as per our power-supply agreement with
Ficelco,” Napocor Vice President for Corporate Affairs Urbano
C. Mendiola Jr. said.
Napocor operates the
Balongbong hydropower plant, Marinawa Diesel Power Plant and Viga Diesel Power
plant, which gives 1.8 MW, 2.950 MW and 1.050 MW of dependable power supply,
respectively. “We hope that Ficelco heed our call to ensure adequate power
supply,” Mendiola said. “We at Napocor can provide technical assistance to them
to get the ball rolling.”
Catanduanes is one of
the 14 first-wave areas to undergo privatization as prescribed by Department of
Energy Circular 2004-01-001. The province, through Ficelco, succeeded in the
conduct of a CSP in 2008, which also gave way for a Phase In-Phase Out
agreement with Napocor. However, since some obligations in the agreement are
still unmet, Napocor decided to remain operating its power plants in the
province to ensure adequacy of power supply.
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