At least 4,164.92 megawatts (MW) of power projects will come online this year to enhance the country’s energy infrastructure, and bolster the power supply and stability of the grid, the Department of Energy said April 25.
The DOE said that, to date, 161.20MW of these committed projects are now in full commercial operation, while 835.888MW are under the testing and commissioning stage.
These power projects represent a mix of both renewable and conventional sources. Baseload plants will comprise around 678.06MW, mid-merit plants will total to 1,320MW, while peaking plants will comprise 2,164.92MW, the DOE said in a statement.
Of the expected capacities, 4,030MW are in Luzon, 80.25MW in Visayas, and 52.50MW in Mindanao. The DOE said 1,224.655MW will operate this second quarter, 1,352.167MW in the third quarter, and 1,571.154MW in the last three months of this year.
The DOE is also looking at the completion and commercial operation of 1,984.775MW of solar capacities, of which 966.294MW are expected to come online by June 2024 while 494.888MW are under testing and commissioning and can already inject energy to the grid.
At least 590MW of battery energy storage system will also come online this year, with 32.42MW already operational.
These additional capacities will strengthen the reliability and stability of the grid, providing much-needed capacity to meet the growing energy demand in the country. The anticipated increase in capacity will prevent supply deficiencies and potential power interruptions, particularly during peak demand periods, the DOE said.
“As electricity demand continues to grow, the government will endeavor to assist the private sector in the timely completion of their power projects to generate additional capacities, especially now that we are experiencing strain in the grid due to high demand from the extremely high temperature,” Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said.
He reminded local government units and other government agencies to facilitate the timely release of permits and address the right-of-way (ROW) issues to accelerate the development of energy projects in the country.
“The timely development of energy projects is vital to meeting our nation’s energy needs. We call upon the LGUs and other concerned government agencies to proactively engage with energy project developers, prioritize the issuance of permits, and address ROW issues in a timely manner to facilitate the seamless implementation of energy projects,” Lotilla said.
Delays in securing permits and addressing ROW issues not only impede the progress of energy projects but also incur additional costs and undermine investor confidence. “By expediting these processes, LGUs can contribute significantly to enhancing the investment climate and fostering economic growth and well-being of constituents in their areas.”
The DOE said that since the assumption to office of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., 1,274MW of installed capacity became operational and have been injecting capacity to the grids.
The administration likewise achieved major milestones with the successful completion and energization of the Mindanao Visayas Interconnection Project and the Cebu-Negros-Panay (CNP) Backbone Project, marking a significant leap forward in the nation’s energy connectivity and resilience, the DOE added. ||
