The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Riza Lozada
The Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) recently met with representatives of Mindanao electricity distributors to assess the supply of electricity from power plants in the region.
Based on the National Power Corporation (NPC) generation forecast for 2016, the average available capacity of PSALM’s power plants in the Mindanao grid is around 655 megawatts (MW), this according to a recent disclosure of PSALM which is a listed issuer at the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. (PDEX).
Power stakeholders had reported that Mindanao’s power situation is expected to become stable as some power plants are expected to start opertions beginning this year.
Based on the Mindanao Development Authority’s (Minda’s) Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee (MPMC), the power projects in Mindanao would add 1,920 (MW) of electricity to the Mindanao grid.
“Currently, the Contract for the Supply of Electric Energy (CSEE) of the 49 power customers in Mindanao is under review for the revision of the CSEEs’ contracted demand and energy of these customers,” PSALM said.
The PSALM Electricity Trading Department (PSALM-ETD) has completed last November in Butuan City the last of a series of consultative meeting with local power customers which were intended to complement the annual Mindanao Power Customers’ fora held in Davao City and Cagayan de Oro City in October last year.
PSALM convened representatives of Mindanao power distribution utilities and large industrial customers to discuss their contracted energy and equivalent demand allocation for 2016 considering the available capacity of the remaining PSALM-independent power producers (IPP) compared with the rising demand. The forum also tackled concerns over the Interim Mindanao Electricity Market (IMEM).
PSALM partnered with the Department of Energy (DOE), state power firm National Power Corp (NPC) and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for these consultative meeting.