No electricity outages during summer—NGCP

Power transmission network operator National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said it does not expect power outages until this June despite the onset of summer when traditionally, energy demand peaks. 

NGCP said its positive projections will hold if all factors remain the same.

“Assuming that no plant goes on unscheduled maintenance and assuming that the load at its peak does not exceed 9,870 megawatts (MW), there will be no power outage. But outside of those two conditions, we cannot give any assurance,” NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza said.

The NGCP has projected that demand would reach its highest during the week of May 13 to 19, based on research on consumer and commercial behavior in previous years and weather forecasts for that week.

Demand peaked at 8,928 MW during the same period in 2015 and reached a high of 9,726 MW in April 2016, which was election year and the country was experiencing the El Niño weather phenomenon.

Alabanza, however, said the company is cautiously confident that if all power plants are up and running and with judicious use of electricity, the public will be able to enjoy the summer months without any discomfort.

Like the Department of Energy (DOE), the NGCP also advocates demand-side management of power consumption and has also released energy conservation tips to the public, she said.

Alabanza suggested that ironing chores and other high-load consuming tasks be done during periods when power supply is not strained, for instance at night or during weekends.

Ironing could also be done at off-peak hours or before 9 a.m. or after 9 p.m. at night or once every week.

For lighting, she recommended that fluorescent lamps be wiped clean to give maximum illumination, as well as the use of Compact Fluorescent Lamps for energy efficiency instead of incandescent bulbs.

For air-conditioning and refrigeration, units with a high Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) have a lower electric consumption compared to non-EER air-conditioners and refrigerators.

Keeping the air-conditioning units clean and patching up possible air leaks in the room will also help in efficient cooling.

Electric fans should be kept clean, she said, adding that putting the television set on stand-by mode also consumes energy.

Unplug all appliances when not in use to avoid unnecessary consumption, she said.

NGCP said to assure power supply in Mindanao, it will apply with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) a P56-billion interconnection project linking the Mindanao and Visayas grids through the Cebu-Dipolog route.

The interconnection project, targeted for completion in 2020, is long sought by power producers so they can share or sell their surplus supplies. At present, only the Luzon and Visayas grids are interconnected.

Fernando Javier, NGCP head of the Mindanao System Planning, bared the application will be part of the NGCP’s overall implementation of transmission development projects in Mindanao.

Javier said the submarine cable would run about 55 kilometers with a capacity of 450 megawatts in both ways.

Javier said the power interconnection project is being pushed after the result of the NGCP-commissioned hydrographic survey conducted from September to November last year.

Javier said the Cebu-Dipolog route is the most viable along the country’s western seaboard for interconnecting the Visayas and Mindanao grids.

According to Javier, the NGCP already dropped the eastern route because it is not suitable due to significant presence of live ordnance.

Earlier, NGCP bared that previous feasibility studies showed the eastern routes as unsuitable for submarine cable ground laying because of a significant quantity of live ordnance – torpedoes and high explosive shells from the Battle of Surigao in 1944 – an underwater volcano, fault lines, and seismic hazards, such as unstable rock slabs that can cause landslips and tsunamis.

NGCP has sought the support of the public and its stakeholders for the full and immediate implementation of the project and assured them of NGCP’s “dedication to determine the most reliable and cost-efficient path to completion.”

“This is a large undertaking. We want this facility to be state-of-the-art, as well as sturdy enough to last generations. We are considering many factors in the design and implementation of the project, including changing weather conditions. Ensuring the quality and reliability of power transmission services to both Visayas and Mindanao customers is of paramount importance,” the NGCP said.

NGCP announced it will proceed with the preparation of a conceptual design, detailed cost-estimate and update of system simulation study. They will also include inland and route surveys for substations and associated overhead transmission lines. RIZA LOZADA