Brownouts hit Luzon, grid put on red alert

By  Lenie Lectura  -June 19, 2019

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/06/19/brownouts-hit-luzon-grid-put-on-red-alert/

ROTATIONAL brownouts were experienced in Luzon on Tuesday after the grid was placed on red alert notice, the 11th time since March this year.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said the red alert lasted from 10 to 11 a.m. and from 1 to 3 p.m. Meanwhile, a yellow alert notice was issued
from 9 to 10 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 3 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 9 p.m.

A yellow alert is issued when operating reserves have dropped below the required 647-megawatt  contingency in Luzon, or equivalent to the largest unit in Luzon, which is the 647-MW coal-fired power plant in Sual, Pangasinan. In a nutshell, a yellow alert means thin power reserves.

This is the 32nd yellow alert since March this year.

A red alert notice is raised when there is severe power deficiency and zero contingency reserve.  Based on Tuesday morning’s forecast, peak demand in Luzon was expected to reach 11,114 MW as against an available capacity of 11,402 MW. When the red alert is issued, power interruptions are expected.

The grid operator said on Tuesday afternoon that manual load dropping (MLD) was implemented.

As of 1:19 p.m., the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said approximately 21.2 MW were dropped in Bulacan, Malabon, Navotas and Caloocan.

The thin energy reserves, downed power plants, and spike in demand due to the summer heat were cited as the factors that led to the rotating brownouts.

The power plants that went on forced outage are the 370-MW South Luzon Thermal Energy Corp. units 1 and 2; the 345-MW GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant Co. Ltd. and the 150-MW SMC Consolidated Power Corp.

There were also derated plants: Calaca 2 at 200 MW from 300 MW, Angat Hydropower Corp. from 200 MW to zero; First Gen Hydro Power Corp. at 47 MW from 120 MW; SN Aboitiz Power Inc.-Ambuklao Hydroelectric Power Plants Units 1-3 at 70 MW from 150 MW; SN Aboitiz Power Inc. Magat Hydroelectric Power Plants Units 1,3,4 at 255 MW from 270 MW; and San Roque Power Corp. at 238 MW from 290 MW.

A plant is derated when the capacity produced by these plants are less than what it had been declared earlier as being able to deliver to the grid.