April 1, 2019 | 12:16 am
THE Department of Energy (DoE) is
asking industry stakeholders to comment on a draft circular that will regulate
the provision of ancillary services in the country’s power grid.
The DoE said there is a need to
issue a circular that will “harmonize ancillary service-related issuances and
address various issues through a general framework.”
Ancillary services are necessary to
support the transmission of power capacity and energy from resources to loads,
while maintaining reliable operation of the transmission system in line with
good utility practice and the Philippine Grid Code.
The draft has set forth the process
of procuring ancillary services, which is the task of system operator National
Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).
All reserve energy categories —
primary, secondary and tertiary reserves — are to be procured through contracts
provided that a competitive selection process is undertaken for this purpose.
Reactive power support and black
start ancillary services are to be procured only through contracts. Black start
is the process of restoring a power system to recover from shutdown.
Once the reserve market starts
operating, the procurement of ancillary services is to be done through
contracts or through the market. Reactive power support and black start
ancillary services are still to be procured only through contracts. All reserve
categories are subject to the central scheduling and dispatch of the market
operator.
The DoE said the circular will
ensure the reliability, quality and security of the supply of electricity by
adhering to principles that will provide the safe and reliable operation of the
grid by taking into account the entry of emerging technologies and the
intermittency of variable renewable energy generating resources.
It said the circular will also
provide proper accountability among concerned entities in the efficient and
transparent operation of the grid. It will also ensure compliance to reserve
requirements of each grid.
The circular also lays down the
responsibilities of power generation companies, including testing for ancillary
service capability when they apply for a certificate of compliance and during
the annual validity process.
The DoE is accepting proposals and
comments until May 3. — Victor V. Saulon
No comments:
Post a Comment