- CHERYL G. CRUZ
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines has warned of thin power supply this summer due to higher demand in the new normal, and highlights the need for policies to ensure adequate electricity during the elections in May.
Thin operating margins, or the power in excess of demand, which is used to manage and balance the grid, is forecasted in the Luzon grid from April to June due to the increase in demand during the summer, which includes the critical election period.
The power transmission operator coordinates the preparation and submission to the Department of Energy of an annual Grid Operating and Maintenance Program (GOMP), which is the consolidated preventive maintenance schedules of power plants, considering the needed supply to meet the projected demand.
The 2022 GOMP was approved by the DOE on Jan. 10. In compliance with the directive of the DOE, no maintenance shutdowns were scheduled during the summer months, it added.
“The NGCP, in compliance with its mandate, coordinated with the generation and distribution sectors so that we could optimize and rationalize our own maintenance schedules, to ensure sufficiency…of power supply throughout the year,” it added in a press statement.
However, some generating units extended their maintenance shutdowns while others derated to decrease their committed generation output. As a result, yellow alerts were issued on Jan. 10 and 11. A yellow alert is issued when the excess power is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s regulating and contingency requirement, pegged at the time at about 495MW and 647MW, respectively.
“As transmission service provider, NGCP can only give an overview of the current supply and demand situation, and endeavor to dispatch any and all available grid resources. It cannot intervene on matters concerning power generation,” it added.
To alleviate possible power shortages, the NGCP appeals to policymakers to immediately explore demand side management strategies to mitigate any possible power supply issues in the coming summer months, especially at, or around the time of the presidential elections.
Meanwhile, the NGCP said it has restored all 69kV transmission lines affected by Typhoon Odette.
The NGCP restored power transmission services to the affected provinces of Northern Samar, Samar, and Biliran Dec. 19, Eastern Samar Dec. 20, Leyte Dec. 25, Negros Occidental on Dec. 24, Negros Oriental on Dec. 30, Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur Dec. 20, and Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur on Dec. 28. Power transmission services were also restored in Southern Leyte on Jan. 8. | CGC
